Our Ninja Ways
by KiTtYKaT121092
Summary: Dating late pre-shippuden to shippuden, a story about a young Leaf Kunoichi, Kat Himura, who finds herself in an unbelievable situation when her childhood friend Deidara returns after becoming a criminal and was missing for years. Besides dealing with the fact that she has to keep him a secret, she faces a new issue: falling for him. Can she work it out or will it end in tragedy?
1. Prologue

*Prologue*

Every person has their own path to follow and their own values in life. Some go through great obstacles and manage to rise to the top, while others go through about the same amount but suddenly fall to the bottom. Everyone experiences pain and suffering, joy and happiness. Everyone has their ups and downs during certain situations in their lives. We all go through pretty many similar things.

However, living a double life as a ninja can take its toll on you.

A person living in a normal lifestyle can never compare to a person living and working loyally as a shinobi in this world we live in, filled with huge, diverse countries, allied and rivaled villages, and dangerous beings that possess incredible abilities based upon a source called Chakra. It was our duty to follow our village's rule and orders at the cost of our own lives and we took that oath when we trained hard and were rewarded with our village's headband protectors.

I had to learn to accept it in the hardest of ways and was willing to do whatever it took to continue to survive and have the opportunity to still stand alongside with the ones I loved and cared for, even if it meant making plenty of sacrifices for myself and for others.

That was my nindo, my ninja way, and I had to do what my instincts, mind, heart and duty told me was right.

This is the story of how I chose between love and duty, loyalty and betrayal, and life and death. How my friends and I went through unbelievable experiences and how we worked our way through them, step by step. How we shared a few laughs and shared a few tears with one another. How we all were willing to stand by each other and fight for what was right 'til the very end.

This is how we followed our ninja ways.


	2. Chapter 1: The Slight Beginning

*Chapter 1: The Slight Beginning*

Eight o'clock happened to be the regular time to wake up most mornings, but this morning on a cool December day, I decided to get up about an hour later. There was no need to rise earlier because I had nothing special to do, so it felt good to stay and relax in my warm and comfy bed.

But you would've figured that a Chunin like me would need to be out and about since I was in a slightly advanced rank as a ninja. Especially since I was a medical ninja and one of the apprentices of the fifth Hokage Tsunade herself, here in the peaceful Village Hidden in the Leaves.

I had to work a lot before, but for some unknown reason, Tsunade hadn't called me for any assignments lately, which bothered me a little but I took advantage of the fact that I was basically on vacation, even though she didn't specifically say that.

It felt real nice to be on break and not risk my own life for once, or make medicine.

As I stared at the white colored ceiling of my bedroom in my average-sized apartment, I remembered that my birthday was coming soon. I was going to be eighteen in a couple of days and I was actually looking forward to it, not just because I was turning one year older, but because I was most likely going to spend it with my friends.

Having a fun time with them was always a treat. It would bring us closer each time, since we were all shinobi and you never knew what could happen to any of us on a mission or in an unexpected moment. Everyone suffers through tough situations, death being a common cause in the ninja world. No one like's the idea of those close to us dying, but that was reality and we learned to accept it, even if it still hurts deep inside just to the thought of it.

We try to live each day like it was our last and cherish every moment.

Moving back to the thought of my birthday getting closer, I also realized that this would be the first birthday I would celebrate without my family. I moved out of my parents' house shortly after I turned seventeen. At first, they argued with me and attempted to persuade me to not leave, worried that being out on my own would be too risky and that I wouldn't be able to handle living in a place by myself.

But I proved them wrong. I was taking care of my responsibilities pretty well and I was fine on my own. What could possibly go wrong? I was a ninja after all.

My stomach growled ferociously as I remained lying on the black-sheeted bed. It was so loud that you could've heard it from outside of the room, which was sort of embarrassing. I was sure they could mistake it for bad gas. But now that I knew I had to be hungry, I slowly rose from my bed, fixed it so it would be sort of neat and went to the bathroom inside my room so I could brush my teeth.

When I checked my reflection in the mirror, I was a disaster, like I partied too hard last night. My brown hair was naturally wavy and curly if I didn't straighten it, so it was no surprise that it ended up bushy when I woke up. My black makeup was also smeared under my light brown colored eyes. I just looked very tired that morning. I was so funny-looking that I even giggled to myself as I continued to see my reflection while I brushed my teeth.

After I took care of my other business, brushed my untamed hair and cleaned off the residue of mascara from my face, I went into the kitchen in my pajamas to find something to eat for breakfast. My stomach was grumbling more fiercely the more I stood and wasted time thinking of options, but it was difficult to decide sometimes, only because there will be mornings when I don't want a heavy meal and others when I'm starving but there's nothing in the fridge or pantries.

Luckily I went grocery shopping the day before so there should be no problem with searching for food in my apartment.

The first thing that came to mind was cereal. It was simple and yet a good choice for a quick meal. I went up to one of the pantries and pulled open the small double wooden doors to reveal several boxes of cereal lined up next to each other. They weren't in any specific order, but I like to have them neatly stacked by one another.

Once I grabbed the cereal box of choice, I carried it in my arm while I went to grab a bowl, a spoon and the milk from the fridge. When I had everything I needed, I gently placed all items on the brown medium round table in the middle of the kitchen. That was when I heard my house phone ringing from the counter beside the fridge. In no real haste, I walked up to the white cordless phone and picked it up from its dock on the second ring. I pressed the talk button which answered the call and I placed it by my right ear to listen.

"Hello?," I answered politely.

"Hey Kat," a familiar deep voice greeted. I knew who it was automatically by the tone he gave me.

"Oh hey Zephyrus," I responded.

Zephyrus Ibikikuzo has been my best friend since we were going to the Leaf Village Ninja Academy together many years ago. He came up to me that one day when some of the boys were picking on me because they found my anger funny and cute, he told them to stop and he helped me up when I was sitting on the ground trying to defend myself. He seemed like a lonely kid back then, I was the only one who really played with him and did training together with. The more I got to know him, the more I began to understand what he was really going through. He had a very rough childhood and he suffered emotionally, but I did everything in my power to help make him feel better again. I was his closest friend after all.

"Do you mind if I come over to your place in a bit? I have something to tell you," he said firmly. I did wonder what he wanted to tell me, so why not? Having friends over was sort of a routine for me.

"Yeah, alright, you can come over," I told him.

I heard a "yay" slip from his mouth on the other side of the line. I could tell I made him happy, which made me chuckle to myself as well.

"Okay, well I will be there in a few minutes! Bye," he finished the conversation as I clicked the button to end the call and put the phone back on the dock. Now I had to watch out for his arrival and eat my breakfast, but I hadn't even served my food yet. Everything was still sitting on the surface of the table, waiting to be used. So I casually walked up to them, opened the box and poured it into my white glass bowl. I poured in the milk afterwards and put it away back in the fridge where it belonged.

As I snatched my spoon from the table's surface to push the cereal under the milk to soak a bit, 'cause I preferred it kind of soggy-ish, the doorbell rang a couple of times, catching my full attention. I figured who it was as I left the utensil inside my bowl so I could walk to the front door and check. I looked thru the peep hole and saw a tall dark figure standing outside, recognizing them immediately as I started unlocking the door.

Once I let it fly open carefully, there was Zephyrus, leaning on the rail up here on the second floor of the apartments. He displayed a boy-ish smirk as he saw me cross my arms and lean on the doorway. "Well that was faster than I expected," I said.

"You should know me already Kat, I get stronger and faster more and more each time," he claimed shrugging his shoulders. He then stood up and waited for an invitation into my home patiently. "May I come in?"

"Sure," I only said as I moved back inside my place to allow him entrance. He walked in cautiously like I had set up a trap of some sorts. I would never put traps in my own home, that's ridiculous. Then I would have to do hard core cleaning around here.

I made a hand gesture towards the kitchen table where my cereal had been soaking in its bowl, showing him where he could sit while we chatted. Then he went, pulled out a black chair and sat calmly, crossing his fingers and placing his arms on the table. I took my time to go and join him. He seemed like a mix of serious and yet practical expressions. There have been moments when you couldn't even read him. I think he liked doing that to others.

His dark brown eyes were firm and fixed on me as I picked up my spoon, scooped up some soggy cereal and ate it. I kept my eyes on him while I did that because he was staring at me eating and it freaked me out. But once I was able to swallow my food down, I paused for a quick second.

"So what brings you to my humble home?," I questioned, pointing my index finger at him. I realized pointing was rude, but hey. I really didn't care.

"Well I have some good news and some bad news," he started off with, "Which would you like to hear first?"

My eyes were temporarily glued to his vest that was royal blue with a thick white stripe in the middle horizontally until he said that. I would usual request the bad news first because I would rather become slightly happy in the end than go on with my day upset. But that time, I felt like switching it around for once. What harm could it do?

"The good news. Lay it on me," I said mostly prepared. I intertwined my fingers with my hands lying on my lap, gripping firmly and waited for his news.

He mentally prepped himself like he was about to give a well thought out speech, exhaled a large amount of breath and met his soft dark brown eyes with mine. Honestly I was a little worried about what he was going to deliver when he put on a stone cold serious face.

"Okay, the good news is that I have been assigned on a mission. An S-Ranked mission I must add," he told me. Wow. What luck huh?

"That's amazing Zephyrus! Lady Tsunade actually gave you one? This should be exciting for you, since it will be your first ever S mission. So what do you have to do?! Save a princess? Battle some strong enemies?," I asked sounding excited myself. I was proud that he now had the opportunity to prove himself with his extreme skills.

This might sound crazy, but Zephyrus here was ranked a Sannin of the Leaf Village. I don't know how such a position was possible, but since he was so advanced in pretty much everything as a ninja, they decided to give him the proper title. What stinks was that we were the same age and had gone through the academy at the same time, but because he was so dedicated to training and improving his jutsu, he was able to jump up a few levels.

"That information is unknown at the moment. I am meeting up with my squad members later this afternoon to discuss the details. But now, prepare for the bad news," he said as he frowned.

Maybe I wasn't fully ready for what I was about to hear. I tapped my foot on the ground out of nervousness.

"I will not be here for your birthday, unfortunately," he regretfully spoke.

I could not believe it one bit.

"W-What?! What do you mean you won't be here for my birthday?!," I exclaimed surprisingly. I was more in disbelief and I could feel that my eyes grew wide. How could Tsunade assign my best friend on a mission days before my birthday? I had things planned out for my friends and I on that day. It wouldn't be the same without him.

"I'm afraid it's true. The mission will most likely take several days at the least. Heck, I fear it'll take weeks to get done with. I'm sorry Kat," he apologized. He really showed how displeased he was with leaving close to his friend's special occasion. He never liked disappointing anybody; otherwise it would remind him of his dark past.

"B-But that's unfair! You are a huge piece of the puzzle Zephyrus and without you here to celebrate with me and the others, nothing would be as enjoyable," I reminded him balling my hands into fists. My emotions went from shock, to upset, to anger and then to sadness in only a matter of minutes. I tried so hard to control myself before I would have punched the table and broke it again like last time.

I learned to possess super-human strength from Tsuande, along with medical ninjutsu, so I sometimes get a little carried away when I become angry, accidentally busting and breaking anything in my path. In the beginning, I never intended to learn such an impacting technique. I thought it was too troublesome to wield such enormous power into a small fist like mine and with something so effective and dangerous, I would have to be wise about when to use it.

However, Tsunade convinced me well enough that it would definitely help me throughout my life as a ninja, allowing me to break through tough obstacles and take down my opponents more easily, because one single punch could surely severely injure them, or in another case, kill them. So I agreed and now I consider myself to be an awesome ninja who can burst through walls, use medical ninjutsu and use some good fire style jutsu, which was my main nature chakra.

But I fear I could really get out of control if my short temperament got the better of me one day. Silly me.

"I'm really sorry. I never would've wanted to leave before this occurred but it is my duty to do what the Hokage orders me to do. You understand, don't you?," he said sincerely. I could tell he meant what he said and he was right about the other part.

We had to do what our leader told us to do, mission or not. It was our obligation as shinobi.

I was only able to nod my head and accepted it unfortunately. There was nothing I could do to stop it and I didn't want to act selfishly either. But I felt pretty down that he was going to set off on a very risky mission.

Anything could happen to him, despite the fact that he was a Sannin.

"Look, for an early birthday treat, why don't I treat you to dumplings at the dumpling shop later in the afternoon? How does that sound?," he offered with an encouraging smile across his face.

How could I turn him down with such an offer that gave me a chance to spend some more time with him before he left and was getting treated to my favorite type of food? There was no way.

Suddenly I quickly got over my sadness and jumped up from my seat, knocking over my cereal bowl carelessly.

"Heck yeah! I like that idea!," I shouted joyfully. He was pleased that I got over my small depression as soon as he mentioned dumplings. He knew I loved that type of food more than anything.

Probably more than my own friends. That was a lie because I loved my friends more than I loved my own life. I held them all dear to me in my heart.

* * *

Time had passed and Zephyrus and I had finished eating the remainder of our dumplings over at the local dumpling shop in the village. Boy I was so full.

I usually complained about how I should watch my weight and not eat so much junk food, but that doesn't stop me apparently. It all becomes too irresistible in the end.

We had a few laughs and discussed other matters like how I could improve my skills, things that were going on in our lives and such.

After we ate, he had to go back to his place and pack up his equipment before going to see his teammates for the mission. With that needing to be taken care of, he simply gave me a goodbye hug, patted my shoulder with his slightly rough brown hand and went our separate ways.

I prayed that his travels will be safe enough. I hoped he would return safe and sound.

Now I was home again, bored and clueless on what to do next. I could have watched television or read one of my books from my small black bookshelf in my bedroom, but none of those ideas were tempting at all.

I wanted to do something more interesting and working, get up and moving.

But I was stuck without a good thought.

Then it occurred to me when I recalled the conversation Zephyrus and I had only hours ago, about how I could improve my jutsu. Why don't I just train, I thought.

Tonight would be the perfect opportunity to work out and try to advance in my abilities because the weather was nice and nobody should be at the training grounds at night. It was a perfect idea!

I had nothing better to do anyways, so I got up, gathered my equipment and placed them on the table to organize and then started packing everything in my bags.

"Get ready for a challenge Zephyrus, because once you return, you will see how much I've improved over a short period of time!," I said in my mind, feeling conceded at the moment.

Having a hubris attitude was risky, but I was actually determined to show him how strong and stealthy I could get! Ready to prove him wrong!


	3. Chapter 2: The Night That Started It All

*Chapter 2: The Night That Started It All*

After inspecting all of my tools to see if they were all in good condition, I checked myself in the mirror on the vanity in my bedroom. I had to make sure I didn't look like I just crawled out of bed, although after I finished training I would end up sweaty and nasty feeling.

But hey, I wanted to look decent at least if anyone I knew saw me in the village. I applied my eyeliner, mascara and a little swipe of blush, just as a tiny measure.

Once I believed things were set, I grabbed my black sandals and slipped them on, randomly wiggling my revealed toes.

Next, I put on the rest of my belongings and I was geared up, ready to go train my butt off.

"Okay, time to go," I thought to myself as I turned out the lights in my apartment before unlocking and opening the door barely wide enough for me to slide through and out. I felt the cool breeze brush against my light skin as I closed the door and locked it up with my key.

It felt incredibly amazing outside that very evening. I was sure Zephyrus was enjoying it as well as I was while he's out there on his S-Ranked Mission.

He never told me any details about his assignment. In fact, he claimed he had no clue about it either, but that he would find out once he united with his chosen squad members.

Well whatever it was, I only hoped that they'll be careful on their quest.

I inhaled the fresh outdoors air, and then exhaled a lot of my breath, feeling a sense of satisfaction as I went back to breathing normally. "Ah, it is absolutely lovely out here," I commented silently like in a whisper.

I went down the stairs until I made it to the bottom where the first floor was of the apartment complexes. I liked having a place upstairs.

It felt cool having to go up and down the steps of the stairs all the time, except when I am extremely exhausted from such things like training or missions, when I'm carrying things to and from the apartment or when it's a really hot summer day.

Those were my only true flaws of having a second floor home.

Once I was passed the front gate of the apartment complexes, I strolled to the direction where the Third Training Grounds was located, away from the main part of the village. It doesn't take long to get there from my place, plus I'd rather continue indulging myself in this wonderful early December weather, before it would become really cold.

On my way, I was passing up the main section of the village, where the businesses were open and working as much as they can. I stopped myself because I realized I had to walk down that route to get to the training fields that way.

I gave a quick slap on my head for being forgetful of my directions. Sometimes I just get carried away too much. The cause: lots of daydreaming and this great frosty breeze!

Moving my body towards the busy street, I took several steps until I heard my name being called ahead of me.

"Kat!," a familiar young female shouted to me. At first, I couldn't tell who it was due to the large crowd of people that were there gathered by the restaurants and stores, but then I saw a light skinned arm waving back and forth and short pink hair from a distance.

"Sakura?," I said in my mind. The crowd cleared up a bit and revealed Sakura Haruno trying to grab my attention.

When I was sure it was her, I ran up to her and gave my pink haired friend a good hug. "Hey girl, what's up?," I greeted, glad to see her.

Sakura was a young friend of mine, younger than me by a few years actually. She was also a disciple of the Hokage, so we both somewhat trained together in the same fields of medical ninjutsu and have monster strength. However, I believe she was much more intelligent than me, since she had better chakra control than me and was a genjutsu type. She also studied this ninja stuff a lot more than I did back at the academy.

"Not much, I was about to go grab something to eat. Wanna join?," she asked kindly.

"I would love to, but I'm not that hungry right now. I'm actually heading to the training grounds to work on my jutsu," I answered pointing ahead of me.

She arched an eyebrow out of puzzlement. "The Training Grounds? This late? Why did you decide to wait for this time at night?," she questioned curiously. It seemed she found it odd for me to be training during the evening. I don't know why, but maybe it has to do with possible intruders attempting to enter the village at night. It was unlikely that it would happen, but if that was the case, then the ninjas guarding the border should be taking care of that.

"I just felt like tonight would be the perfect time to work out, that's all. So is there any word on Naruto and Master Jiraiya?," I said wondering whether or not anyone knew if those two would return soon.

"No, nothing. They're still most likely gone," she informed me.

"Oh okay," I said. Naruto Uzumaki had been gone for his special training with Master Jiraiya for about two years now. Next to Sakura and the others, Naruto was also a good friend of mine from the past, despite the reasons that people use to stay away from him because he was a jinchuriki, sealed with the Nine Tailed Fox inside of him. I had no idea about ant of it until I worked with Tsunade. She told me one time while we were discussing exercises and different jutsus. That was why many of the villagers resented him back then when he was a child, because they were most likely scared that the Nine Tails would one day release itself from Naruto and terrorize the village again. But that was no excuse to treat a child that way, especially since he had no clue that he had the tailed beast sealed inside of him until much later.

He also was an orphan, which I thought was sad because he never got to know his mother or father.

He basically lived out on his own at an early age, but I could tell he managed very well.

Besides being a real prankster and a knuckle-head, deep inside, he was a determined kid who had a great dream to become Hokage someday. When that day comes, life will be sweet! With such a glorious goal as that, he worked so hard once he became a ninja, but I wonder how much stronger he would get after he returned? Definitely more than me by a long shot since he possessed the chakra of the Nine Tails.

"Well I got to go now. I don't wait too long to exercise, otherwise I might change my mind and go home," I said feeling a bit impatient. I really wanted to get this training out of the way for the day.

Sakura giggled at my response, "Oh okay then, see you later Kat and good luck with your training."

"Will do! Bye!," I said running off straight forward and waving my arms. Once I was out of sight, I focused on finding the correct path to the fields.

* * *

I took longer than I predicted. The crowd was thick and unsettled, jumping from one spot to another when they were fully satisfied. Luckily, I made it to the training grounds at a reasonable time.

"Finally I have arrived!," I thought out loud. The training grounds was a sort of like a forest, covered with large and small, tough and weak bushy trees, and even had some open spaces scattered around.

There were a few lakes and ponds as well for practicing water style jutsus or for just refreshing yourselves after a long day of exercising, but I usually find that water disgusting since it contained dirty floating particles and some animals. Can you imagine all the types of germs that could be in those lakes?

Not that I was a germ freak but I wouldn't drink or rinse my face in it.

The wind got slightly stronger by the time I got to the fields, so it would certainly be useful once I really broke a sweat.

I had to decide what I wanted to start off practicing once I found the three huge wooden logs that stood in the middle of the field. They were used for weapon tossing exercises or for tying people to them as punishment, as I've heard from stories. I was glad I didn't receive such an action.

My conduct was pretty fair back at the academy and as a genin. I wasn't like Naruto who never took things seriously in the beginning, but I was extremely lazy about doing some of my work. In fact, I was still as lazy, but I attempted to change my ways and be a little more active on or off duty recently.

I stood there with my head up high peering at the clear night sky that was covered with a blanket of stars and a crescent moon. It was a beautiful sight.

Brainstorming and thinking of my next move, the one thing that came to mind was weapon toss, since after all, I was already there where I can do target practice.

So I dug my hands into my pouches that contained my kunai knives and shurikens, felt and grabbed whatever I touched, slid them out in the open and threw them towards the logs where the bulls eye targets were in place.

I missed the bull's eyes by one ring, so I was getting close enough, but I needed to do better! So I kept at it for about thirty minutes until I ran out of tools to toss. During that exercise, I managed to make a few precise bull's eyes, which made me proud of myself that I could do it.

Of course, I needed to work on it later because I knew it wasn't good enough to me. I had to try harder next time.

As I walked casually to the logs to retrieve my weapons, I sensed something peculiar from a distance. I turned and scanned my surroundings as the wind blew and rustled the leaves of the trees and bushes. My long hair flowed in the air like there were invisible fingers smoothly combing through it.

I wasn't sure what it was I felt at that moment, but I knew I couldn't be alone out there. Someone was watching me.

Suddenly, the bad aura dissolved and I shook it off, assuming it was nothing after all. I went back to pulling out my knives and shurikens from the wood and putting them back into my bags, one by one.

Taking them individually was time consuming, but I was beginning to become lazy, so I didn't mind it. Besides I wasn't planning on leaving that fast. I had to take care of more things.

Once I was done storing them away, I paused so I could ponder about what to do next. Then, when I figured it out, I closed my eyes, did the proper hand signs and held the last one as I concentrated.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!," I loudly thought as I brought my right arm up and curled my index finger and thumb to connect and made a circle. Then I took in a deep breath and exhaled a large massive ball of flames that dragged through the dirt ground, leaving a wide dug up looking line behind.

I watched as it continued on until it exploded and cleared up shortly after. It left a big crater on the ground's surface, steaming from the excruciating heat it delivered.

"Still a pro at it," I whispered to myself.

I moved on and kept performing fire jutsus and even earth style ones for forty to forty-five minutes. I could feel my body almost reaching its limit on energy and chakra, but I wasn't ready to give up yet.

I wanted to do more and step it up a notch.

Searching for another move to pull, the trees caught my attention. That's when I had to crazy idea of leaping on the trees back and forth. It gave my legs more strength hopping from one tree to another, especially since we ninjas like to leap through trees all the time when we go on missions and such, so it's no problem to me.

I'm just worried my laziness will kick into full gear soon. I got to toughen up and put one foot in front of the other!

I had trouble trying to climb one of the trees for some reason. I literally clawed it with my nails, wrapped my legs around it and carefully shifted my arms upward to help pull me up. I did the same with my legs and I tried to move in sync, but I failed miserably.

I fell on my butt and back a few times, which I was thankful I wasn't too high up or I would've really hurt myself. I'm a medical ninja and yet I get injured the most, what luck?

"Damn it! How am I gonna get to the branch?," I shouted in a fit. I even kicked the tree in anger and left a small dent on its side.

The imaginary light bulb popped up over my head and lit up bright. "Oh duh! Why didn't I do this before?," I said shaking my head in disbelief. I backed up a good distance from the tree, stood in concentration again and focused my chakra at the bottom of my feet.

If you're thinking of the same thing, then yes. I was preparing to run up the tree.

I realized that I was low on chakra by then, but I desperately needed to be on that tree in order to do my training even further. When I was ready, I charged for the gigantically long piece of wood and never lost sight of it.

I got close to it in haste and threw back my right leg to give support and pushed as my left leg went up and stepped on the wood. From there, I was sprinting up that tree like I was in a marathon. I was positive that I had even put on a game face.

I made it to my checkpoint and relaxed on a thick branch, trying to catch my breath. My hands were on my knees as I bent over panting heavily.

"Take that… stupid tree…," I told the inanimate wood, giving it a light punch. Breathing normally again, I looked around to see the spots where I could jump on from my location. They seemed easy and my determination was actually strong that night.

Taking only twenty-five minutes, my body was definitely worn out. I sat on a branch across from where I began, breathing pretty heavily. It was hard to control it now and my chakra level decreased even lower than before. I was done for the night.

But for me to have gotten down, I had to hop onto the starting point and slide down from there, and then I could walk home, shower and rest.

Hesitantly standing up, I prepared to jump. My legs were shaking dramatically. I was weak at the knees and I had to place my hand on the main part of the tree to keep myself from tipping over. This was going to more difficult than I thought, but I believed I could do it and I kept that positive attitude.

I went for it and jumped, the breeze brushed against my hot and sweaty skin. It was nice and it looked like I was going to make it. But suddenly, I found myself falling even before I could reach my legs for the branch.

I was falling fast, so the quick thing to do was to grab the branch and hold on for my dear life, so I reached my arms out with some of the strength I still had and clasped on tight. I peered down below me and it was not a wise idea. My legs were dangling lifelessly under me. Fear overcame me then and there.

I was scared I would die.

I held on with all my remaining energy and strength, quickly trying to think of a back-up plan, but what would any normal person do in a situation like mine?

"Help! Help me! Somebody!," I screamed in a horrific panicky way. It was all I could do for now. After a few more calls for help, I waited and prayed hard that someone would come to my rescue and soon.

All of a sudden, my hands were slipping in short jerky motions. I panicked not having any more energy to hold on tighter. I glanced at the ground and stared at my sliding hands. The tree was roughly scratching up my palms and fingers as I applied pressure to it just to keep me hanging a little longer.

But it wasn't effective enough and in a matter of seconds, I unwillingly let go and started falling face up and back down.

The rush of air pushing on my backside was incredibly strong and my hair got into my face, whacking me with strands of it. I was too stunned to have reacted with a scream of terror. I was about to accept my sudden fate, which looked like my quick death.

In those fast seconds that felt like minutes as I flowed down in mid-air, I thought about my friends, my family, everybody I had ever encountered. How soon it felt for me to leave them at such a young age. I thought about how upset my family would be if they learned of my death, mainly my mother. She would believe she was right all along about me being on my own, that it was too dangerous. I bet I would've made her feel guilty that she couldn't do anything to save me. I didn't like the sound of that.

Zephyrus, Hana, all of my friends, they would be devastated to find out I died in an accidental death trying to train hard. It was all too much to cope with. But I begged for forgiveness in my mind, closed my eyes shut and waited for my body to plummet to the ground. This was to be the end of my life.

The end of me.

Unexpectedly, I stopped falling, but I didn't hit anything tough like I was supposed to. It was strange because I felt like I was floating in the still air. "That's impossible…," I said in my mind. Curious of why my body never touched the dirt ground, I cautiously peeled open my eyelids and saw straight ahead first, which was the night sky.

My vision went blurry due to exhaustion so it was difficult to see correctly. My head felt light and dizzy like I had spun in a circle. I tried to stay awake so I could figure out what was going on with me, because I knew for a fact that I didn't have any special powers to be floating anywhere.

"Hey, are you alright? Hmm," a smooth male voice asked nearby. Alarmed that someone here without notice, I slowly tilted my head to the right where I heard it from. It was a guy, carrying me in his arms.

Because my vision was unusually sucky at that point, I couldn't get a good glimpse of him. What I could guess was that he wore a dark, maybe black cloak with perhaps red clouds on it. They appeared as blobs thanks to this temporary blindness. He had long blonde hair with some of it tied back in a high ponytail and had long bangs covering his right eye, had cold blue eyes with darkening around his eyelids and light peach skin.

Another thing that I barely caught was his headband, which had the symbol of the Village Hidden Among the Stones on it, but it was slashed out. How peculiar I thought.

"You seem to be in a daze. How sad. Hmm. That fall could've really killed you if it wasn't for me saving you in time. Hmm," he chuckled in his throat. Overwhelmed with surprise, the only movement I was able to do was nod my head, but gently because it ached painfully.

I stared at him, trying to get a closer look at his appearance. He was a complete blur, but there was definitely something about him that bugged the crap out of me. "What is up with this guy? Why does he seem familiar to me? Like I've seen him before in the past?," I thought trying to put my finger on it.

He just had me partially on his lap while held me like a baby, grinning at me, which worried me a little. I wondered what he was thinking as he peered down and met his cool eye with mine. I had no way of escaping if he attempted to harm me in my state. It was useless to even move and grab a kunai 'cause I was too weak. I could only lay and wait.

From afar, faint voices were being sounded as I heard people shouting and heading my way. I assumed some of the shinobi from the village were finally on the search for me. It was about time!

When my mysterious hero noticed them coming, he settled my down on the ground gently, laying my body flat on my back.

"Looks like we've got company. Unfortunately, I will not be staying awhile longer. Hmm. So I'll be seeing you later, Katana," he said as he lightly scratched underneath my chin and kept that devious grin. He took off and that was that.

Shock was the emotion I was expressing then. How could he have known my real name? Was he a spy? Was someone after me? The possibilities were endless.

It was too bad I couldn't continue investigating, I was slowly losing consciousness. I could hardly keep my eyes open as the search and rescue ninjas made it to me. I gazed at the twinkling stars while they were doing procedures on body.

"Ma'am, are you okay? Were you the one who called for help?," one dark haired man questioned me, shining a flashlight in both my eyes to see if they were dilated. Unable to respond with words, I nodded my head in approval and to let them know I was still hanging in there.

But I failed to remain awake, because the last thing I remembered was that he and the other two men checked our surroundings and lifted me up to take me back to the village, which before arriving, everything went black.


	4. Chapter 3: The Recovery

***Note: I forgot to put this on the other chapters, I do not own Naruto! Kat Himura, Zephyrus Ibikikuzo & Hana Soromura are my OCs! The italics are flashback, memories, visions, etc. Thank you for the few reviews I got for my story so far! I really appreciated it! :) Now you may enjoy Chapter 3! *Update 4/9/13: I fixed some parts of the chapter because i made an age confusion, but i fixed it!***

*Chapter 3: The Recovery*

I woke up in a white bed in a secluded room in the Leaf Village Hospital the next morning. Full of puzzlement, I scrolled my eyes from left to right, wondering how I ended up in there. I couldn't remember what happened last night, no clue what I did or why I was in the hospital.

I examined myself and spotted the bandages wrapped around each of my hands as both of my arms were laid by my sides. Curious about them, I raised them in front of my face so I could see clearly.

They had small blood spots seeping through the bandages and when I tried to wiggle my fingers to check if they were numb, both hands stung terribly, mainly in the palm area. Well that gave me my answer.

I lightly laid them on my lap and peered out the window, noticing how bright and sunny it was that morning. I was still clueless of why I was in there in the first place. Did I hit my head on something or what?

Three knocks were heard coming from the door to my right side. When I was sure it was knocking, I allowed entrance to whoever it could've been. They slammed the door open, making a loud crashing noise that caused me to almost jump out of my own skin.

My heart raced rapidly, I didn't know who it was exactly because the curtain that surrounded half of my bed was wide and covering me. What was worse was that if it was an intruder, I was still in no condition to protect myself; also my hands were damaged and useless. Fear swept through my entire psyche.

Suddenly, the titanium white curtains flew fiercely to the side and revealed my visitor.

"Kat! Oh thank goodness you're alright! When Sakura called and told me you were here, I flipped out and came running, hoping you were okay!," my good friend Hana cried as she threw her arms out and wrapped them around my neck, rubbing her cheek against mine, causing friction between them. I was grateful it was no dangerous assassin trying to murder me.

Hana Soromura was a year younger than Zephyrus and I; she also acted a little childish like me. Even teenagers are immature sometimes. Although I was the older one, she treated me like I was her younger sister, but that was because I didn't act my age and my appearance was not of an almost eighteen year old.

I have my normal womanly features, don't get me wrong, but people told me that the reason they believe I was either fifteen or sixteen was because of my short height. Being a little over five feet and a half isn't really benefiting me. Plenty of people have told me I looked adorable for an seventeen year old.

However, I have learned to deal with comments and as such, I was prepared to respond to them properly. Most of the time.

"Ow ow! Hana, you're leaning against my hand and it hurts a lot," I warned her as she sobbed and put more pressure on my cheek, her medium length brilliant red hair gliding on my lips in the process. Another thing about her is how exaggerate she can be when one of us is hurt.

She eventually released me and backed off.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make it more painful for you!"

"It's alright," I gave a semi smile.

Hana sat down in a metal chair beside my bed and carefully grabbed the hand closest to her, observing it. She gave me a disapproving expression after taking a good look at it.

"What did you do to yourself?," she asked frowning.

"That's a good question, I don't remember what happened last night actually," I answered staring down at my other hand. I even shut my eyes closed in hopes that something would pop up if I focused hard enough. But there was nothing. Everything seemed blank.

Hana arched an eyebrow out of concern.

"Are you alright Kat?," she asked with a worried tone in her voice.

I fixed her lime green eyes with mine and nodded, including a simple smile of assurance.

I received a smile in return.

"So I take everything's okay in here?," A girl voice said. Hana and I both turned to see Sakura walk in and lean against the frame of the window, grinning in my direction.

"Sakura? Do you know how I got here?," I asked sounding desperate for an answer. I really wanted to know how I injured my hands and what went down the previous night.

"From what I received, a few shinobi heard someone screaming for help from the training fields and responded quickly. Once they arrived, they found you lying on the cold ground in a daze, barely conscious until you passed out on the way here. You had deep cuts and scrapes on both hands that needed to be treated sooner, so we did. I'm surprised you don't recall anything from last night. Are you sure there isn't anything you remember?," she explained with confusion on her face.

That's when it hit me like a volleyball to the back of the head. Everything was coming back to me in an instant.

_I saw myself gripping the branch of one of the trees, hanging in a life or death situation. I was also very exhausted from training too much and extremely frightened._

"_Help!," I screamed as loud as I could, wondering if anyone was even going to come for me._

_That's when my hands were slipping and scraping against the rough branch, which put me in panic mode to the extent. As much as I tried to put more pressure and hold on tighter, the pieces of wood stabbed into my hands like hundreds of needles were prickling at them._

_I suddenly let go and began falling fast. I had shut my eyes and waited to plummet into the ground, but instead, found myself floating in midair._

_When I opened my eyes, things appeared blurry, it was difficult to move any inch of my body._

"_Are you alright?," my mysterious savior asked me, grinning and held me in his arms._

_I recalled the familiar details, which made him suspicious to me, although I was unable to piece it together._

_Then I heard the voices of the shinobi coming our way._

"_I'll be seeing you later, Katana," was the last thing the stranger said before departing from me, which gave me more of a reason to have grown more suspicious of him since he knew my real name._

_Lastly, the men arrived and flashed a light in my face, blinding me a bit, then the lifted me and took off, but I blacked out before we even left the fields._

I snapped back into reality when Sakura and Hana silently looked at me with more concerned expressions.

"What?," was all I said.

* * *

I was released from the infirmary that afternoon and walked home with fresh bandages wrapped around my hands before I left.

I never told them flashback I got that moment they stared at me strangely. In fact, I pretended I still had amnesia and kept it to myself.

Walking felt weird since I had been lying down for a long while, but I needed to get some blood flowing in my legs. My hands were stinging less now that Sakura put some ointment on them when she changed the bandages.

I managed to pull out my key from my pocket to unlock my apartment door and lock it up once I entered. I guess the fingers weren't really affected. Or they healed faster than my palms.

I went to my bedroom, dropped my belongings on the floor and fell face up on the bed.

"So comfortable," I sighed.

I fixed myself on my bed so I was on it correctly, laid my head on my pillow and stared at my ceiling, stroking my hair absentmindedly.

Relaxing, I began to think about to my incident from yesterday evening. My train of thought led me back to my savior and how he looked even with inaccurate vision.

From what I collected, he was from the Hidden Stone Village, but his headband was slashed through the middle. He had long blonde hair, half of it in a high ponytail and the other half loose, with long bangs covering his right eye. His eye color was pale blue and he had darkening around his eyes. Light peach skin and he wore a black cloak with red clouds. I was sure they were red clouds.

Another mystery was that he knew my name and happened to catch me in time from the fall. Was he spying on me the entire time I was training? Was it him that I sensed earlier that night? What was a Stone ninja doing in the Leaf Village?

So many questions were left unanswered as they scrambled in my mind frantically. But something grabbed my attention to my small brown dresser that sat next to my side of the bed. I flipped on my side and used my free arm to gently slide open the little drawer and pulled out a black photo frame.

When I flipped it so that the glass side could face me, I saw an old picture of my childhood friend and me hugging each other when we were about eight years old. I had many other pictures of us throughout other years, up until we were fourteen, but this was my favorite one and I always kept it in this frame and by my bed.

It used to be set up on top of the dresser, but lately, it brought back painful memories that weren't easy to ignore, so I had it face down inside the drawer to hide.

This time, however, I decided to look at it, despite the risk of receiving tearful flashbacks of us together as kids.

_We were lying on a grassy hill on one sunny day in the Stone Village. I was spending the night at his house as usual and we wanted to relax outdoors in the fields. We laid side by side, staring at the clouds and trying to describe what they looked like._

"_Kat?," the eight year old Deidara called me as he kept his sight on the sky._

"_Yes Dei?," I said turning my head to see him._

"_How long have we been friends? Hmm," he asked sitting up and peering down at me with a curious look._

_I had to count with my fingers to calculate it._

"_Um… We met when we were about four, so… it's been four years. Why?"_

"_Wow. Only four? It feels like it's been forever! Hmm," he said throwing his hands up in the air._

_I giggled as I sat up with him._

"_And do you know what else?,"_

"_What?," I asked paying attention to him._

"_Even though we live in two different villages and I talk to other kids from mine, I am much closer to you than anyone else. Hmm," he told me, peering up at the sky as the wind blew his short blonde hair back._

_I was baffled by that comment and silence came between us._

"_R-Really?," I was very shy back then, so it was no surprise if my face was flushed with tomato red._

_He nodded and gave a sincere smile towards me._

_All I could do was blush and look down at the ground timidly._

"_Aw, are you blushing Kat? Hmm."_

"_Huh? Ah no! No I'm not," I denied, obviously lying._

"_Aw you look so cute when you blush! Hmm," he teased and grinned._

"_Stop it! I do not Deidara!," I yelled angrily threatening to punch him._

_But back then, he knew I would never really hurt him, no matter the situation. I cared about him too much to be inflicting any physical damage to him. If I saw him now, I might have a second opinion about breaking his bones with my fist._

"Wait!," I thought immediately.

I glanced at the picture and then thought back to what I remembered from the Stone Ninja that night. It was starting to gradually come together, piece by piece.

They both had the same colored hair and almost the same hairstyle. The same eyes. The same skin color. They were both from the Hidden Stone Village.

On top of that, they both ended their sentences with "Hmm" out of habit and he knew her name on the spot.

These connections were too surreal, I wasn't sure if I was overthinking things or I was going crazy from possible head trauma last night, but it all seemed true.

"Could it be…?"

The doorbell rang and interrupted my mini investigation. I placed the frame face down on my bed and bounced off to head for the front door.

When I got there and checked the peephole, I messed with the locks and opened the door casually. It was Shikamaru Nara standing with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. It was rare that he came over to my apartment for a visit, so it surprised me when he showed up at my doorstep.

"Shikamaru, nice of you to drop by," I jokingly said grinning.

He chuckled as I let him walk inside before shutting the door and locking it.

"Well I would visit more often but I always have work to do, it's such a drag…"

I silently laughed following him to the living room and sat across from him. He chose the three seated couch while I got the loveseat on the other side. I think I would have felt awkward if I had sat next to him. I still had some shyness in me.

"So what can I do for you?," I asked tapping my foot on the floor.

"I wanted to see for myself how you were doing. Sakura told me that you were taken to the hospital last night and woke up without having a clue of what happened," he explained resting his hands on his lap.

I grinned devilishly.

"You got worried about me didn't you Shikamaru?," I teased and giggled.

His cheeks changed to a hint of salmon pink and he looked the other way, which made me laugh more.

"You could say that," he said trying to avoid eye contact.

I liked playing around with him like that, he usually got embarrassed and I got some good laughs out of it. I liked seeing his reactions.

"I heard your hands are scratched up as well," he pointed to my hands.

"Yeah, I held on to a tree branch as tight as I could, even though I had a small percentage of energy left in me. I didn't wanna fall to my death," I explained.

He seemed puzzled at me, arching an eyebrow and tapping his finger on his leg a few times.

"Then, how did you get down? They said they found you on the ground face up," he questioned trying to register my last comment.

"Oh. Actually…," I paused for a moment, thinking of how to explain it to him. I wasn't sure if I should tell him the truth or lie through my teeth, since I made it seem like to others that I forgot what I did. But I was terrible at lying, so how could I?

"I… I really don't know how… It happened so sudden… It was all a blur," I simply said looking at the coffee table. Two different stories would cause problems between me and whoever knew about my situation.

Shikamaru had an empathetic look on his face. He must have believed I told the truth, which was all I needed to do. I felt bad that I lied, but I had to search out this one thing in private.

"I see. Well, at least you're doing well. I just hope that Zephyrus doesn't find out soon," he commented nodding his head once.

"Don't you worry. Lord knows I won't say anything. I just hope Hana keeps her trap shut though," I said narrowing my eyes.

"Are you gonna spill the beans?," I gave a death glare which freaked him out.

"I'm not saying anything. I'd rather not get myself stuck between your troubles," he firmly said.

"Good," I said, changing from glaring to kindly smiling.

"Well, I need to get going. Lady Tsunade expects me to go do my paperwork from the last mission I went on," he said as he stood up.

"Yeah, you better go do that. She might get crazy if nothing is done about it," I commented, laughing nervously as I stood up from my seat. He watched and followed as I went to the front door and unlocked it so he could leave.

He grabbed the doorknob, twisted and flew the door open. Then he stepped halfway out and turned back to look at me.

"Don't get yourself into more trouble okay? You tend to do that a lot lately," he told me as he grinned, poking my forehead.

"Fine," I pouted placing my hands on my hips absentmindedly forgetting that my hands were still hurting, but I ignored it.

He chuckled and exited the door, closing it behind him.

I locked the locks again and headed back to my bedroom, falling back on the bed.

"It was nice of him to visit and check on me," I said to myself.

It showed me what true friends I have here. But if Zephyrus found about it, that I was found in the fields and sent to the hospital and had injured my hands while hanging on a tree, he would flip his top, his face would flush with pure red and steam would blow out of his ears.

I really wanted to avoid that. I assumed the reasons he was overprotective all the time was because I was his closest friend, I somehow put myself into unreasonable and risky situations, mission or not, and the ninja life was just hectic in general.

He vowed that he would sacrifice his own life to protect the ones he cared for; basically putting his love for others before his own duty. But I felt lately, there have been times when it seemed like he put work over friends and family. I realized the life of a Sannin is very busy and dangerous, but he used to have so much time to spend with us, even when he was a Jonin.

He might deny it but I could see the reality of it. We were slowly slipping apart.

I tilted my head to the side and felt it hit something on my bed. I scrolled my eyes to see that it was the photo frame lying face down like I had it. I yawned and my eyes were beginning to shut. "I must be still tired from yesterday. Maybe I should take a power nap…"

I slept for about four hours, longer than I predicted. Once I rose from my bed, I gathered my pajamas and my towel, and went into the bathroom connected to my room to take a shower.

After thirty to thirty-five minutes, I came out in my black spaghetti strap tank top and loose red capris that reach under my knees. The bottom of the capris had elastic so it was closed and to me. I had my white towel wrapped around my hair to dry it.

I decided to watch TV and kick back on my bed, so I laid back on a pillow and clicked the power button on my remote control to turn on the television.

I glanced at the flower calendar that hung on my wall. It was going to be the tenth tomorrow, which was also my birthday. I had a little spark of excitement when I thought about it. I was about to turn eighteen and I would finally be considered an adult. Isn't that thrilling?

To me, not really.

Now that meant I have to take care of more responsibility and it's already a bad habit that I'm lazy and immature. So many things I could dread about the subject.

I checked the time and it read 8:56 p.m.

One of my drama shows was about to come on in a few minutes, so I had to be on alert to remember to flip the channel to it.

While I waited, I opened my dresser and took out a roll of bandages and wrapped my hands again after applying some ointment. I needed to protect them from infection until they were completely healed.

Looking down by my side, I saw the frame, stared at it blankly before picking it up and flipping it over. Again, as I observed the two of us in the photo, I went from plainly looking to glowering when I kept my eyes glued to him.

"_Deidara?," my eight year old self called to him as we laid in the grass._

"_Yeah?," eight year old Deidara said._

"_What do you wanna be when you grow up?"_

_Deidara sat up and looked at me quizzically. We never discussed what we planned to do when we became adult before. I thought it was the perfect time to ask._

"_Hmm, well I do wanna become a ninja someday, to become the strongest in my village I guess. Hmm. What about you?," he said looking at the clouds._

_I already knew what I wanted to do and I smiled when I thought of it._

"_I wanna become a powerful kunoichi of my village, just like the Legendary Sannin Tsunade! Then I can prove to everyone how skilled and worthy I can be!," I shouted excitedly. I beamed at him after that._

_He blinked, surprised that I broke out of my quiet mode when I said that. I usually talked to him with no problem but I was still timid around him sometimes. With an outburst as such, he smiled back at me and laughed a little._

"_That's awesome! Hey, let's make a promise to each other. Hmm," he said as he got on his knees._

"_What kind of promise?"_

_He raised his right arm and held it up in front, between the both of us._

"_Let's make a promise, from this day forward, we will do whatever it takes to achieve our goals, once we become shinobi of our villages. Hmm," he stated awaiting for my returned handshake._

_It was a vow worth handshaking to, so I raised my arm, grabbed his hand and shook on it firmly. The both of us smiling brightly as we let go._

"_Alright!," he announced happily._

_I nodded my head in approval and clapped excitedly._

"_Also, maybe when we're old enough, I can make you my wife. Hmm" he said lightly placing his index finger on his chin and grinning towards me._

_My eyes grew wide and my jaw dropped in shock. I couldn't believe what just he told me!_

"_W-WHAT?!," I exclaimed placing my hands on my cheeks._

"_That's right! Hmm," he laughed, giving me a thumb's up._

I started crying and squeezing my grip on the frame tighter. My tears rolled down my cheeks and drip from under my jaw, landing on the photo and on my lap.

My heart ached at the thought of all our hopes and dreams being tossed out the window because of the things he did in the past.

How he went far as to steal a forbidden jutsu from his village, became a terrorist bomber and then left the village, classified as a Missing-Nin, an S-Ranked Criminal.

I never learned of his reason for leaving the Hidden Stone, but I was furious either way. It had been years since I last saw him at his home. We were fourteen, the age he began turning to the dark side, as far as I knew.

I cared about him very dearly, I would've done anything to help him and be by his side. It was too bad I couldn't stop him from destroying and disappearing.

Startled by the doorbell and a couple of knocks, I quickly wiped my tears away and put the frame away in its place in the mini dresser. Then I stood up, unwrapped the towel from my hair and hung it on the bathroom doorknob.

Making sure I didn't look too bad after weeping, I took a deep breath and walked for the front door. Without realizing it, I forgot to use the peephole and went ahead with unlocking the locks.

When I opened the door, I peered down at the floor at first, slowly moving my head up to see who it was. My eyes widened once I saw their face.

"Long time no see, Kat. Hmm."


	5. Chapter 4: His Return

***Note: I managed to finish this quickly! I feel like I rushed through this chapter, but I hope you like it anyways! Enjoy! :) P.S, I'm currently trying to see why it wouldn't show up on here... I'm gonna fix it!***

*Chapter 4: His Return*

Deidara stood before me on my doorstep. I was speechless. After almost four years since his disappearance, there he was, revealed as my savior from the other night. I knew the similarities had to be true. It was him.

He definitely out grew me after those years, but then again, I had been around the same height for that long.

"Long time no see, Kat. Hmm," he grinned towards me.

Appalled, I couldn't move my lips to say anything. I was unable to let my words slip from my mouth. All I did was step back a couple of steps and watched him walk inside my apartment. My heart raced rapidly, my arms and legs shook as I shut the door, locked it and leaned against it.

"Oh my god… It is him… But why now all of a sudden?!," I said in my thoughts. I pinched myself in case I was dreaming but it was the real thing. He actually returned.

"D… D-Deidara…,"I stuttered.

"The one and only. Hmm," he smirked. He observed me from head to toe, making me uncomfortable.

"H-Hey! What are you looking at?!," I complained.

He swiftly jumped closer to me, basically having his face close to mine, with his hand pressed against the door, right by my head. I leaned against the door as much as possible.

"Why at you of course. What else would I be looking at? Hmm."

He continued to keep that devious grin on his face as he met his icy blue eye with mine. I froze where I stood, trying to come up with a way to get out of this.

Then I remembered how angry I was at him and how I had the urge to punch him square in the face for what he did. I closed my hands into fists and waited.

When he backed off a bit, I took the advantage to swing my arm up, punched him hard in his right cheek area and sent him flying across the hallway. My hand stung excruciatingly, just realizing it was still sore from last night, but I ignored it. I would've thought he'd suspect that and evade it, but he never expected it, at least I thought so.

He laid on the floor for a minute before sitting up and touching his cheek. When he faced me, I saw he had little blood seep from the corner of his mouth. I rubbed his thumb against that area and noticed it once he checked.

"My my, you're awfully stronger than I remembered. That punch really hurt. Hmm," he smirked wiping the blood from his face. A big red print appeared on his cheek a couple minutes later.

"You do realize I'm incredibly pissed at you, right?! You've got a lot of nervous showing your face here to me after all these years!," I exclaimed fighting back tears that were forming from the corner of my eyes.

I would've broken down and started bawling if I could, but I was more angry than sad and crying was a sign of weakness in this situation. I tried hard to be tough.

There was a moment of silence between us, until he got up and stood where he was, turning his smirk into a frown.

"I figured you'd say that. But I was prepared for this, although I never thought you'd hit me like that. Hmm."

"Well, I'm not the same as I was back then. I've changed ever since you left without a trace and I was furious, nonetheless. If you came here for a pardon, you can just forget about it! I could never forgive you," I explained to him frowning and pointed at him.

"I don't expect you to. I obviously don't deserve one. Hmm," he said.

I blinked. This was weird talking to him again after all this time. What was bad was that we started it off by arguing rather than calmly resolving it. I was losing my temper badly. It felt like my head was a bomb ready to explode at any moment that ticks me off. Even though he acted cool, I had to keep my guard up at all times. He could pull a trick at any time.

"Then, why are you here?," I asked curiously.

He took a few steps closer to me which made be back up against the door again. I clenched my hands into as a precaution. Once he was close to me, leaving about five inches between our bodies, he raised his arm and then I flinched when he stroked my hair behind my ear.

"I just came to see you. I missed you. That's all. Hmm," he said smirking as he continued stroking my hair. It tingled a bit as I felt him lightly touch it, but I stopped him by grabbing his arm firmly, although my hand burned.

That's when he noticed the bandages.

"What happened here? I bet it was from when you were hanging off that tree, wasn't it? Hmm," he said staring at them.

"So you were spying on me? If you saw me helplessly holding on, why didn't you get me sooner?!," I yelled, mad that he could've prevented me from hurting my hands that severely.

"I didn't want to interfere until you were in real danger. I thought that you would come up with some escape jutsu or something to break your fall. Hmm," he explained as we made eye contact.

"You idiot! If I'm hanging on a branch shouting for help, it's obvious that I wa-!," I paused when I noticed the palm of his hand. It looked like it had a set of lips in the middle.

"Deidara?"

"Hmm?," he hummed curiously.

"What's with your hand? Are those…," I could only say, feeling a small sense of fear.

He chuckled at my face expression as I stared at his hand.

"So you've noticed? Hmm," he said as the mouth opened and the tongue wiggled out.

I jolted and let go of my grip on his arm quickly after I saw that, squealing from fright and trying to back away from him. It was disgusting and I shook my head of disapproval as he attempted to move it closer to my face.

"Get that thing away from me you creep!," I pleaded from the top of my lungs. Not happy that he refused to listen to me, I smacked it aside and pushed him back. I really needed my space anyways.

"You shouldn't fear this. These are what I use to make my creations, my work of art. Hmm," he said.

"Your art? Those are from the forbidden jutsu you stole huh?," I questioned, pretty much aware of the answer already. He never had those mouths there before, so I had to be right.

He grinned big as he raised both hands.

"Yes. I wanted another method to making my masterpieces, so I stole it and now I feel empowered as I use my art to blow up anything I want. Hmm," he said having an almost crazed look in his eye. That worried me a bit, because I used to talk about his "art" back then, but not like this. Not the way he was implying it almost like a psycho. It was too bad I didn't have a kunai on me right now. It would've been helpful to protect me, but then again, I had my hands and feet to aid me.

Super-human strength you know?

"Don't you like my idea of art Kat? Hmm," he asked me smirking.

I had to think of a wise way to answer that question or he could kill me for saying otherwise.

"Um… it's… nice?," I said quizzically, closing one eye and turning my head to the side, hoping he didn't try to hurt me.

"Aw c'mon. You used to admire my creations when we were kids, but it's alright I guess. Hmm," he said as he lowered his arms to his sides.

I was surprised he didn't want to hurt me for not appreciating his art. I sighed of relief. But then I focused my attention on his cloak and his slashed headband.

"So what's the deal with your outfit? And why is your headband like that?," I demanded.

He sighed and prepared to answer.

"After I stole the forbidden jutsu, I went around getting hired by people to bomb certain locations and people they told me to blow up. Hmm. During my return to the Stone Village on the job, I was stopped by a few members of Akatsuki. Hmm."

"Akatsuki? You mean the organization that is after the jinchurikis?," I asked. I had heard of them before, but I didn't get enough information, all I knew was that they tried to kidnap Naruto in the past.

"Yeah. The one of the three members I faced was Itachi Uchiha. Hmm," he said regrettably, grinding his teeth against each other after saying his name.

I got a chill down my spine from hearing it myself. Itachi used to be a very kind person to me when I was younger. He taught me how to use my fire style jutsu pretty well and I liked hanging out with him and his little brother Sasuke. But after what happened, everything changed. He murdered his entire clan, all except for Sasuke, and then left the village and joined Akatsuki. It made me angry just thinking about him.

"What happened between you two that day?," I wondered.

"We had made a deal, if I had beat him in a fight, then I could walk away freely, but if I lost, then I would be forced to join Akatsuki, so we did the battle and I had believed I'd won, but it seemed I was caught in his genjutsu by his cursed Sharingan. Hmm. So since then, I despised him greatly for judging my art in the rudest of ways. One day, I plan on taking him down with my clay and it'll be sweet revenge," He said glancing at his hands with the crazy look on his face again.

He must have lost his sanity after losing to Itachi, 'cause he wasn't like this before. This Deidara changed dramatically and I wasn't sure how to resolve it.

He noticed how startled I was against the door like a frightened puppy, so he came up and stopped in front of me, frowning. His eye softens right before he threw his arms above my waist area and laid his head against my neck and shoulder. I froze again, stunned by what was going on.

"I really did miss you Kat, believe it or not. Hmm," he said softly. Astonishment was all I felt. Was he telling the truth? I was clueless on how I should act as he embraced me in his arms tightly. I slowly raised my arms high to his upper back level, ready to return the hug, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, due to the fact that I still resented him deep inside, so I brought them back down.

Once he let go, we just stared at each other for several seconds before his chuckled while closing his eye.

"What's so funny?," I asked.

"Nothing. I was thinking about how cute you are, even when you're angry at me, just like the good old days. Hmm," he smirked.

"Huh?!"

"Aw look, you're blushing, just as adorable as before. Hmm," he teased and grinned while pinching my cheek that felt warm.

"Don't touch me!," I rudely smacked his hand away and pouted, crossing my arms in front of my chest. He didn't take offense to that and chuckled again. I hated when he treated me like a little kid or like someone younger than him.

"Aren't you more feistier than ever? I like that in a girl. Hmm," he said grinning as he placed both hands on the door, each beside my head. He got real close again and he fixed his blue eye with my eyes. I could my face flush with heat and redness as he gazed at me, teasingly.

"I will punch you in the face again if you get any closer," I threatened with a death glare.

He wasn't affected by it and put on a smirk.

"Try me," he challenged.

Accepting it, I threw my right fist towards him in an attempt to do an uppercut, but he evaded it and backed up. Then I charged towards him and threw a punch at him, but he grabbed me by the wrist and held on. I tried my other hand, but he caught that one and had a firm grip on both. He then flipped me on the floor and kneeled on top of me, practically holding me hostage. I wiggled and struggled to get free, but his hold was strong. He peered down at me, grinning as usual.

"You've become stronger over the years, but you're clearly not stronger than I am. Hmm," he chuckled in his throat.

"Let me go Deidara!," I commanded him. Who knows what was going through his mind as he pressed me against the floor.

"I think I'd prefer to keep you this way, to show how much more superior I am than you, but unfortunately, our play date is over. Hmm," he said as he released his grip and got off of me. I stood up and rubbed my wrists.

I watched as he went into my bedroom and slid open the window.

"What do you think you're doing? Why are you going out through the window?"

He turned towards me and smirked.

"I plan on leaving through open space I suppose. No one can see me exit the village that way. Hmm," he claimed.

I sighed.

"Sure," I said rolling my eyes.

He began climbing out the window and was about to take off until he felt me yank on his cloak. He turned to face me curiously.

"When are you coming back…?," I asked facing the other way and gave a snobby look.

He gave a little smile and beamed at the moon.

"Maybe tomorrow. Hmm," he said.

I scrolled my eyes at him and arched an eyebrow.

"Really? On my birthday?"

"Yup. That's if you're cool with it though. Hmm," he said waiting for a response.

I paused for a moment and thought about it. Should I let him come over the night of my birthday? It would be sort of awkward, but I was sure I could survive it.

"Yeah sure, whatever," I answered.

"Then I'll be seeing you later. Good night Kat," he grinned and winked, which surprised me more. Then he jumped out the window and into the air most likely, but once I got up to it and looked outside, he was nowhere in sight.

I felt the night time breeze flow through the opening and brush against my skin, cooling myself down.

I glanced at the moon, amazed at what just happened here in my apartment.

"What have I got myself into?," I told myself.

When I checked the time, an hour had passed and I had realized another thing.

"Damn it Deidara! You made me miss my show!," I exclaimed as I shut the window closed roughly and headed for bed.


	6. Chapter 5: My Happy Birthday Surprise

***Note: If you have not read the last chapter, now you can! Sorry there was technical difficulties :/ otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)***

*Chapter 5: My Happy Birthday Surprise*

My alarm clock went off at nine o'clock in the morning. I laid there in my bed for several minutes before shutting the device off, silencing the annoying beeps that echoed in my ears.

When I finally rose up, my frown turned upside down.

"Today's my birthday!," I announced to myself happily like a child on Christmas morning.

Using that as my motivation for the day, I got up completely, went to the bathroom to freshen up and then I slipped out of my pajamas to put on my normal clothes, which was a pink V-neck shirt with black skinny jeans.

I straightened my wildly curly hair and applied my make-up as I usually did. Just for that occasion, I decided to add an accessory to my hair, so I twisted my bangs, put it to the side and slipped a couple of bobby pins to hold it in place. Then I clipped a pink bow the size of the palm of my hand. People complimented me when I wore bows, stating that I looked pretty in them. Deidara even agreed to it back then, from what I remembered.

"That's right. That bastard came over last night," I recalled glowering at the window, remembering that he entered through the front door and left through my bedroom window. I wondered how he managed to get into the village without being detected by the shinobi at the border. There was no avoiding them if you tried to infiltrate the place. But I assumed he was as sly as a fox.

"I wonder if he'll really come back tonight. Hopefully not…," I said thoughtlessly. I wasn't sure if I meant what I said. I did ask him if he would return, which must have meant an approval for him, although I sort of doubtful.

But I didn't want to drag myself down, because today was my birthday, I was eighteen now and I planned on enjoying it as much as I can with all of my friends!

So after I sprayed some perfume on my neck and rubbed it all over, I checked to see if I looked alright, put on my sandals and walked out the front door, locking it back up as soon as I closed it.

I wandered the village with a bright smile on my face throughout the whole stroll. I said hello to some of the villagers, talked to the children and was humming songs all around the place. I don't know why, but my mood was colorful like fireworks at a festival. It was definitely beginning to be a swell day for me.

It was, until I couldn't find anyone I wanted to see.

I caught a glimpse of Hana when I passed by one of the shops near Ichiraku Ramen. She was talking to someone and was holding an object in her hand, it looked pink from afar.

To take a better look, I decided to run up to her and see what was going on.

"Hana!," I called to her as she finished speaking with the villager. She turned her head first to see who called her name, then once she saw it was me, she twisted her whole body around on her heels. She held a present wrapped in pink paper and a red bow on top.

"Oh hey Kat. Just the person I wanted to see. Happy Birthday by the way!," she said giving a small smile and raised the gift in front of me, gesturing me to grab it.

"Oh thank you Hana! I can't wait to see what's inside," I said excitedly, lightly shaking it to feel it move back and forth inside the box. She laughed as I shook it by my ear.

"So are you coming to celebrate my birthday with me?," I asked her so hopeful that she'd say yes.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about Kat. I won't be able to join you today…"

Hearing those last several words made me frown and my eyes widen.

"What?! Why not?," I wanted to know.

"My mother is sick at home, so I came out here to get some medicine and to drop off your present to you. I'm so sorry Kat," she explained with her eyes frowning herself.

This was sucking more that another friend of mine was unable to participate in my birthday festivities with me. I felt upset that the color of my mood went down from sunny yellow to gloomy blue in a matter of seconds. But I had to get over it, because I didn't want to sound selfish to her.

"It's okay. I understand. Thanks for the present again Hana," I fake smiled.

She must have seen through my disguise as her eyes softened, but then she smiled at me to lighten the mood up a bit.

"You're welcome," she said as she threw her arms out and wrapped them around me, trying to give the best bear hug she could. I was sure I could top her strength wise, but I didn't want to crush her bones or anything.

So after we let go of each other and said our good byes, we went our separate ways, leaving me to figure out if the others will do the same as I held the present against my chest and looked down at my feet the majority of the walk. I was afraid to approach anyone else, worried that I would get turned down once again, but I had to give them a shot no matter what.

Unfortunately, Hana was not the only one who left me in disappointment.

All of my other friends, Luka, Riko, Shikamaru, Ino, everybody else were occupied with either missions, business related work or family issues. This was a disaster that waited to happen without any warnings.

How could everybody be busy in one single day? And on an occasion like my birthday? I couldn't understand it. All this frustration made my head ache in confusion, I pinched the bridge of my nose until I heard someone shout to me from far away.

"Hey Kat! Over here!"

I turned around to catch Sakura standing on the roof of one of the buildings waving for my full attention.

"Sakura!," I shouted to assure her I saw her. She jumped down on her feet and faced me with a smirk across her face.

"I've been looking all over for you. I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday," she said as she wrapped her arms around me and gave a warm hug. I returned the hug and patted her back a few times before she let go.

"Thanks Sakura," I gratefully said with a glad expression.

"No problem. Also, Lady Tsunade sent me to find you. She said she wanted you to report to her office when you got the chance," she told me as she met her light green eyes with mine.

"Oh really? Do you know why?," I asked in case she knew.

"She didn't specify with me," Sakura claimed, looking suspicious as she fought back her grin.

I narrowed my eyes toward her, tilted my head to the side and then sighed.

"I suppose I should head over there right now," I said, turning my head towards the direction of the Hokage Tower.

"Alright then. See you later," she said before disappearing.

Somehow, I wasn't looking forward to visiting the Hokage after being rejected by all my friends today. I knew they never meant to hurt me, but it got me deep inside anyways.

Arriving outside the Hokage's Office, I sighed to clear my mind and calm myself a bit, hoping there was no sign of sadness on my face. I knocked a few times, waited for someone to allow me entrance and then I entered the room, closing the door behind me.

Tsunade was behind her desk as usual, with her elbows on top and her fingers intertwined with each other. Shizune wasn't in there with her that time, most likely on the other side working on paperwork.

"Ah Katana, you're showed up at a good time," she said smirking.

"You wanted to see me, my lady?"

"Yes. I called you so you can pick these up and take them with you," she told me.

Curious about what she was talking about, she lifted a short stack of presents from under her desk and placed them on top for me to see. I was astonished to see I had that many waiting for me.

"Whoa! Where did you get those from?," I asked blinking as my eyes grew wide.

She chuckled when she saw my reaction, noticing that my eyes must've sparkled as I kept my focus on them.

"Some of your friends came by and decided to drop them off here since they were busy and couldn't bring it to you personally. There are even a couple of presents from those who are out of town."

I was overwhelmed with pure joy that I rushed up to the desk and checked out the stack much closer.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so happy right now! They do love me!," I exclaimed joyfully. I placed the gift Hana gave me on top of the stack, put my hands on both sides of the pile and lifted it up gently so it wouldn't tip over as I carried it towards the exit.

"Thanks again Lady Tsunade!," I thanked with a bright smile.

"You're welcome!," she shouted as I went out the door and closed it, carefully heading back home so I could see what I got from everyone.

* * *

Many hours had passed once I came back to my apartment with my stack of unwrapped gifts in my hands. I even stopped by the grocery store to get a carton of milk and pocky on the way home. When I unlocked and opened the front door, I put my key up, grabbed the presents and the grocery bag and put them down on the kitchen table first before closing the door.

I faced the door for a minute, messing with the locks and securing them properly. I sighed before I turned around and saw a figure hanging upside down from my ceiling in my face, causing me to jolt and let out a sharp squeal.

"Hey. Hmm," Deidara greeted. I could tell he was smirking, even from upside down.

Frightened, I leaned against the door as much as possible and felt my heart racing.

"What the hell Deidara?! My heart almost popped out of my chest! How the hell did you get into my apartment?!," I exclaimed, both angry and terrified.

"Easy," he paused as he got down and stood up, "You left your window unlocked, idiot. Hmm."

"How dare you call me an idiot! It's not okay to be breaking and entering into other people's homes!," I pouted, poking at his chest and remembering that I never flipped the lock after I had shut it closed last night. How foolish I really was, now he broke into my home because it wasn't secured well enough.

"Actually I only entered, there was no breaking involved. Hmm," he joked around.

That pissed me off a bit when people were smart asses to me, especially when it came from Zephyrus.

"But it's alright, I mean, I assumed you left it that way because you really wanted to see me again. I bet you missed me huh? Hmm," he teased, grinning and looking into my eyes.

What kind of assumptions was that? I would rather have banged my head against the wall until I passed out than leave my window open for him and be conscious by then. Of course, I don't want to knock myself out to avoid a stupid guy like him, so I'd leave that as aside for a different purpose instead.

"What are you talking about?! I… I…," I wasn't sure how to respond to that comment. Sure I had deep old feelings from the past but it's coated with hatred against him, so it's overpowering and difficult.

"That's okay. You don't have to admit it if you want. Hmm," he chuckled.

Man, I desperately wanted to punch this guy in the face again.

"So I see you received a lot of presents for your birthday on the table. Interesting. Hmm. Do you plan on opening them tonight? Hmm."

"Of course I do, what kind of stupid question is that? It's my birthday after all," I told him snottily as I walked over to the table to put up the milk and pocky, then sat in one of the chairs where the gifts were to my left. Deidara sat to my right and close to me. My comfort zone was low, but I didn't care.

"Well let's see what you got. Hmm," he said looking at me and smirking. I sneered at him and took the first present from the top of the stack, which was from Hana. I ripped through the wrapping paper and peeled open the box to reveal a set of three colorful hair bows.

"Aw these are cute. What do you think?," I asked for his opinion. He nodded and pointed at the bow I had in my hair.

"I like this one. Pink suits you. Hmm."

I blushed shyly at his compliment. I couldn't control it and I waited for him to say something about it.

"You're blushing again Kat. How adorable. Hmm," he said pinching my cheeks.

"Quit it!," I smacked his hand away and gave him a death glare, but it didn't affect him at all. Instead it made him laugh at my reaction. "Okay moving on to the next gift before I decide to fight you here in my apartment!," I announced.

"If you can beat me. Hmm," he said in an undertone, grinning as I glanced at him before I grabbed the next gift.

We spent quite a while opening all the presents from the stack. I got bows, earrings, weird smelling perfumes and some souvenirs from Naruto, my cousin Sabia and my uncle Albeo. I liked them all, even though some were too strange.

"It looks likes that's all my presents," I said pushing the items aside. I accidentally dropped one of them on the floor and bent over to pick it up. Once I sat back up, Deidara had a gift in his hand, beckoning me to grab it

"Happy Birthday Kat. Hmm," he said, actually smiling normally. I glanced at him, then to the present and grabbed it. I stared at it for several seconds before gently tearing through it. I was worried what he could've gotten me. It could've been a clay bird or a gag toy or even a kunai knife for all I knew.

When I opened the beige box, I was stunned.

It was a set of two necklaces, one had the symbol of Yin and the other had Yang. I remembered seeing them back at the Hidden Stone Village when we were kids.

_Thirteen year old Deidara and I were strolling through his village when the necklaces caught my attention and stopped me in my tracks. I gazed through the jewelry store window, amazed by how beautiful they looked._

"_Look Deidara! Aren't these necklaces cool?," I asked him poking at the glass._

"_Yeah they are. Hmm," he agreed taking a look at them himself._

"_It would be awesome if we had those. You could have the Yin one and I'd have Yang. And do you know what else is cool about them?," I said excitedly._

"_What? Hmm," he wondered._

"_They're magnetic so when we connect them, they would come together as one, just like our friendship," I beamed at him._

_He couldn't help but smile at what I said. He knew it was true._

"_That's right. We are pretty close. Hmm," he agreed. He frowned when he noticed how sad I became so quickly. "What's wrong Katana? Hmm."_

"_I just wish we had enough money for them though…," I said feeling my eyes become a little moist._

_His frown deepened when he heard how down I was in my voice. He never liked seeing me unhappy this way and always tried to find methods of cheering me up. He knew I saw something special in those necklaces. He wrapped one arm around me and pulled me in for a hug._

"_Don't worry Kat. One day, I will get us those necklaces. You just wait and see, okay? Hmm," he said as he met his pale blue eye with my chocolate brown eyes and smiled._

"_Really? You would do that for me? I mean us?," I was surprised he said he would do it._

"_I promise. Hmm," he sincerely said._

_I smiled excitedly to him and from then on was looking forward to that promise as well._

"You… You remembered…," I hesitated. I was speechless. I was blown away by how he actually kept his promise after all we went through. "I'm afraid to ask, but how did you get this?"

He grinned as he placed his face in the palm of his hand as a head rest.

"I have my ways. Hmm," he only said.

With a look like that, I regretted asking the question, because I thought I knew the answer as I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Again, I was afraid to ask," I repeated as I stared into the box again. They were just as beautiful several years later.

"I'm glad you like it. Well, I better get going before the leader gets pissed at me for being too late. Hmm."

I looked back at him puzzled.

"Why would he get mad at you for being too late?," I had to ask. Getting involved with his Akatsuki business could be the death of me, but it didn't kill to wonder sometimes.

"It's because I have a mission tomorrow and if I'm not back at the lair at a certain time the day before the mission, then I will be severely punished for tardiness," his said shivering at the thought of it.

I knew his pain, except it was with Tsunade, so I patted him on the back to comfort him.

"Oh I see. Then you should go."

When I rose from my seat, I again accidentally knocked over some gifts from the table, so I put down the necklaces and bent over to pick up the items and torn gift wrap that I dropped. When I got back up, I turned to find Deidara flushed with pink on his face. He also looked embarrassed at me.

"What's wrong?," I asked.

He didn't respond until after a minute.

"Nothing. It's nothing. Hmm."

"Okay?," I arched an eyebrow.

He stood up and headed for my bedroom door before I stopped him.

"Wait wait. You're going through the window again?"

"Yeah, why not? I did it last time. Hmm," he said.

Then I realized I wanted him outta here sooner, so why did I tell him to halt?

"Never mind," I sighed as I followed him into my room and stood by the window where he slid it up and was halfway through it.

"Are you going to be coming here more often now? Just wondering," I questioned him.

"Most likely, although I can't say I'll be visiting all the time since I have things to do with Akatsuki. Hmm," Deidara smirked as he peered up at the night sky.

I sighed as I looked out as well.

"Well that's fantastic," I said sarcastically.

"I'm glad you think so. Hmm," he joked, grinning at me. He really read me like a book for being gone for so long. Or maybe he's been creeping up on me all this time, spying on me. How eerie.

"Hmm. Well, good luck on your mission," I wished him out of the blue. What was happening to me?

"I don't need luck when I have my art to assist me. Hmm. Because art is an explosion!," he exclaimed before I smacked him in the back of the head for being too loud.

"Will you shut up?! Your loud mouth is gonna stir up the neighbors and get us both caught!," I whispered loudly to him as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry… Hmm," he apologized.

I sighed of disappointment. "Just be careful out there, alright?"

"Alright. Good night Kat. I hope you enjoyed your birthday. Hmm," he said as he took off into the night. I closed the window and made sure to lock it nice and tight this time.

After that, I went back to cleaning up my wads of wrapping paper and placing my new things in the right spots. Lastly, I picked up the box with the Yin Yang necklaces were supposed to be in, but when I checked inside, only the Yang necklace was lying in there.

"Huh?! W-What? Where did the other one go?!," I began to slightly panic. I scanned the kitchen for it, but couldn't find it anywhere.

Suddenly, it hit me like having a dodge ball to the face. I knew where the Yin necklace went.

"Deidara!," I cried angrily.


	7. Chapter 6: The New Call

*Chapter 6: The New Call*

Another birthday came and went. Honestly, it turned out better when I spent it with Deidara in the end, so it was nice.

What I didn't notice last night was that underneath the necklaces in the box he gave me, there was an envelope signed for me from him. When I pulled it out and tore it open, there was a card inside that was pink with a picture of an Emperor Butterfly coated in glitter. He remembered that that was my favorite type of butterfly. But I figured he wouldn't have tolerated the glitter. It was already enough he had to grab a pink card, I assumed.

I opened it and saw that there was black colored writing inside, starting from left to right, so I took the time to read it.

"Dear Kat, I know you still resent me for what I've done in the past, but I wanted to give you this gift anyways. After all, I promised I'd get the necklaces for you, right?," I paused to think about it. Yeah, he did promise me, clever guy I suppose, but that's not going to change my perspective about him. I resumed my reading.

"Anyways, I'm not asking you for your forgiveness, I realized I caused so much damage between us when I left the village and joined Akatsuki and honestly, you have every right to be angry with me. I broke promises and now it'll be hard to fix, but I have to admit this again, I do miss our friendship, and I miss you. And I know for a fact that you miss me too! Haha," I stopped reading for a moment after I saw that little piece.

Was he serious?! I could not believe this guy! He just loved messing with my emotions. If he was here right now I would personally slap him upside his head. But I ignored it and continued reading the rest.

"Well, I hope you like my gift. Happy Birthday and have a good day. Sincerely, Deidara."

I think what amazed me the most about the card was how he took the time to write it all and admitted his faults. Not a lot of people do that. I never guessed that he would do it either. But I couldn't allow myself to take it too lightly. He was still guilty and I couldn't easily get over it so fast. I had to keep my guard up at all times, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

I arrived at the Leaf Hospital later in the morning. Tsunade called to my house and asked me to help assist Sakura with the medicines and antidotes, as usual.

If I disobeyed my master and refused to go do what she told me, I would surely get punished in the harshest ways possible. With her original power, I was concerned that I could get punched by her if I told her no. She literally scared me sometimes and I was not asking for a death wish anytime soon, so I reluctantly left my apartment and went to find the medicine room.

When I entered, Sakura was already setting up the necessary equipment. She paused and looked up when she saw me inside the room.

"Oh hey Kat. I'm glad you made it," she smiled gratefully.

"Yeah, well, you know me. I can never turn down such an important task," I said regrettably with a fake smile as I walked over to the table she was standing by.

Today, I was in lazy mode after my birthday had passed. My desire was to stay home, kick back on my couch, eat some pocky and watch some good old TV in the comfort of my home. Instead, I get called on duty, I'd have to stand on my feet all day and make medicine and antidotes for myself and for others in the hospital. Not that I hated my job, I just hated being pressured into doing it.

"Well, you're lucky that I had already set up everything we needed, less work for you," she laughed.

"Yeah," I only said as I glanced over all the items on the lab table. Every vial, bowl, and ingredients were in its correct spots, ready to be used piece by piece.

* * *

It took us until the early afternoon to finish the quantity we had to make. Of course, my feet were slightly aching from standing for hours and my hands were tired from mashing and mixing for that long. However, I shook it off, took as many antidotes and medicines as I could and was ready to head back home.

The phone hooked up to the wall in the room rang and caught both mine and Sakura's attention. Since she was the one closer to it, she went and picked it up, placing it by her right ear.

I watched as she said a few things, paused to listen and then speak again. When she said "my lady", I knew she had to be talking to Tsunade on the phone. Sakura glanced at me a few times during their conversation.

Once she hung up the phone, she turned to face me with a pleasant face expression.

"What did she need?," I asked curiously as I scrolled my eyes to the direction of the phone.

"Lady Tsunade wants to see you in her office as soon as possible," she told me as she went back to cleaning up the rest of the equipment.

She called for me twice in one day? How weird I thought. But I couldn't stand there pondering about it any longer. Sakura said as soon as possible and Tsunade disliked tardiness.

So I packed up my things and rushed for the Hokage Residence in a hasty effort to be on time, leaving Sakura to finish our cleaning.

When I made it to her office, I stopped to catch my breath as I entered the room and stood in front of her. I stood up straight once I noticed there were foreign ninjas in the room with her, wondering what they were doing here in our village.

"Ah Kat there you are. I knew you couldn't disappoint me with tardiness," Tsunade said proudly smirking at me behind her desk.

"Yeah, well that's my job my lady. Is there something you needed me for?," I asked as I approached the desk cautiously.

She glanced up at me before doing the same with the other shinobi. She then returned her attention to me, changing her expression to firmly serious.

"I have assigned you on a new B-Ranked Mission. You will be accompanying these gentlemen of the Hidden Sand Village," she explained solemnly.

I was in great disbelief as I turned to face the three shinobi from the Sand Village. They appeared around the same age, were around the same height when they stood next to each other, similar skin color and had their village's uniform on. The only differences were their eye color and their hairstyles. They could pass off as brothers.

In most cases, I never argued with my master about whatever she put me through, but this tore it.

"What?! Lady Tsunade, you can't be serious! I've never partnered up with shinobi from other villages. That seems awkwardly wrong!," I protested as I pointed at the three.

I could tell on her face that she disapproved of me trying to argue my way out of it. It was rare that I talked back to her, so it took her by surprise. She was like a ticking time bomb and she could explode at any moment as I complained to her about being teamed up with foreign ninja.

From the corner of my eye, the shinobi remained stiffly in their place and their expressions went from scowled to disturbed.

However, she merely sighed of stress and fixed her light brown eyes with mine.

"Look, I realize this might be uncomforting for you, I understand that, but eventually you will have to learn to work with other shinobi from many countries. That is how we function in this world as a ninja. Besides, these three were the only ones eligible for this mission and I personally recommended you because I believe you have the potential for this task. I am trying my hardest to be patient with you, but if you continue to argue with my decision, you know what will happen," she warned me as she scolded me for giving her attitude.

I couldn't say anything more about this topic. It was fairly true but I didn't feel right around these guys. They seemed too serious and I was not the completely serious type once you get to know me. Something in my mind told me it was going to be difficult to get along with them as I looked away and peered towards the three.

When she mentioned what would happen if I refused this mission, well if I did, she could either punish me by assigning me weeks or even months of hard labor or suspend me from my ninja duties for that long. I wanted neither of these choices. I had to accept my fate, whether I agreed to it or not.

I exhaled a large amount of breath and inhaled deeply to cool myself down before I responded to my patient master.

"Forgive me for my rudeness my lady. I will accept this mission as you requested," I bowed respectfully.

Tsunade became pleased with my sign of defeat, stood up from her seat to come close to me and place her hand on my head, ruffling with my hair.

"Don't get so sad kid. I trust you will succeed and make me proud," she smirked.

I looked up at her as she smiled to me, feeling glad in a way that she believed in me. I gave a small smile to my caring master and shared it with the three who were still in their position.

"Now that everything is in order, you four will report to the Sand Village for further information from the Kazekage. You can discuss when to meet each other after you all are prepared with one another on your own time, but I want you to depart from the village this afternoon. Understood?," she explained as she went back to her seat.

"Yes my lady!," we all said.

The three and I were dismissed immediately from Tsunade's office to prepare for our mission. It felt weird to escort them out and into the village, but Tsunade told me to and I didn't want to go against her wishes.

"Okay boys, I have to go to my apartment to gather my things, so you can relax for a bit and then we could meet up at the village gate, if that's cool with all of you," I told them slightly waving my hands side to side. I was hoping they'd agree with me and allow me to quickly pack up, since they seemed like reasonable people.

"Is she bossing us around?," the short black haired guy on the right said glancing at his teammates emotionlessly.

"Oh, I didn't notice anyone saying she was leader of the group," the short dark brown haired guy on the left commented as he looked at the others.

"What?!," I exclaimed angrily shocked.

Did these idiots really ignore me and then claim that I was bossing them around? It felt like steam was going to exit out both my ears as I grinded my teeth together and growled at them.

I automatically knew there was about to be trouble brewing between us. Just because they said those things, I was mad enough to possibly stomp the ground so the earth could shake and cause them to tremble at my feet, but I had to maintain self-control before kicking their faces in out of sudden rage.

"Now fellas, the girl was not bossing us around, she was merely stating that she needed time to pack so we can go take care of business," the short brown haired guy in the middle said, smirking at me.

Now this guy knew what I was talking about. Thank goodness! I might connect with him more than the others, or maybe he was as bad as the other two but wasn't obvious? I was afraid to find out.

"Besides, this will be our advantage to check out the cute girls around here!," he grinned, glancing at his teammates first before scrolling his eyes towards my direction.

Okay he was sort of stupid too. The other two agreed to it and went off on the hunt. Watching them trying to pick up girls from my village and get some acceptance and rejections was incredibly ridiculous. How could I be teamed up with these guys? How could they have been eligible for anything? I sighed as they continued their horseplay, worried this mission was going to be one big fat epic fail.

I went to my apartment and quickly brought all my equipment together on the table. Again, I examined each piece to make sure they were in top shape. Hana would sometimes give me brand new tools from her workshop, so it helped when I was short on weapons.

I organized and put everything in its holsters and bags. I even organized my medical equipment in a separate bag and snapped it on to the back of my shorts. I was about to leave when I realized one vital thing.

What if Deidara planned on visiting my apartment and I was still gone on the mission? I had to at least leave a note to let him know I was gone. I just didn't want him to wonder where I was if he broke in and saw that I was not present.

I found a sheet of lined paper and a black pen from the kitchen counter and began writing a brief note for him. I didn't want to give him the location of my mission because I figured he'd try to find me, so I decided to leave that part out.

"Dear Deidara, I am gone on a mission. I will be back soon. Sincerely, Kat. P.S, don't be nosey into my stuff and don't eat all my food!"

I took a magnet from the fridge and placed it over the piece of paper, making it visible. When I felt I was definitely ready, I put the pen away and headed for the front door. I left my apartment and ran for the Leaf Village's Main Gate, where I assumed my "teammates" were waiting for me.

As I arrived, I spotted the three standing around by the gate and it looked like they were rubbing either the back of their heads or their cheeks. When I got closer, I could see that they received slap marks and bumps on their heads. Served them right. I shook my head and sighed of disappointment at the three.

"Oh, there you are," one of them said as he touched his head and stroked through his hair.

"It seems you guys didn't get lucky huh?," I laughed and grinned. On second thought, I could enjoy beating them whenever I pleased.

"Whatever! These girls weren't worth the trouble anyways," the black haired guy pouted. I just laughed harder at these fools.

"Well, now that everyone's here, shall we get a move on?," the brown haired, hazel eyed guy said as he glanced at all of us.

I nodded and gave a thumbs up, smiling at the same time.

So everybody shook off their problems and pains and we set off to see the Kazekage in the Village Hidden in the Sand.


	8. Chapter 7: The Trip To The Sand: Part 1

***I had to make it into two parts cuz I knew it would've been extremely long! I hope you enjoy and leave some good reviews! :)***

*Chapter 7: The Trip To The Sand: Part 1*

We camped out that night in the woods very far from the Leaf Village. Two of our members collected wood and made a campfire for us to get cozy and warm as we sat around it. We were awkwardly silent in the beginning.

I stared into the fire crackling as it burned the tree branches and twigs. The others were probably doing the same. I took my eyes off the fire to check what they were actually doing and noted that they were sharing glances with each other.

"So," one member broke the silence, "I think we should make introductions. Just to get to know each other better for teamwork purposes and just to be friendly."

It was a bright idea. Teamwork required everyone's trust and with that trust, our efforts would crumble into the dust and might lead to our deaths.

The brown haired boy sat up straight and readied himself like he was going to give a speech.

"I'll start us off. Hello everyone, I am Eriku Kurizu; I am the team captain of this squad. I am seventeen years old and if you haven't noticed, I am from the Sand Village and I have a real interest in music and girls," he briefly said grinning.

He didn't look seventeen. In fact, he looked like he was around eighteen to twenty. He was squad captain and barely announced it now? Late on things already.

"Oh! Me next! Me next!," the black haired boy raised his hand high and waved enthusiastically.

When Eriku gave a nod of consent, the boy readied himself with a big smile on his face.

"Hi I'm Seko, I am eighteen years old and I like playing jokes on people. I'm very easy going and a pretty nice guy once you get to know me," he winked towards me.

This was just getting too weird now.

Everyone turned their attention to the other boy who sat quietly in between Eriku and Seko. He looked like he could care less about introducing himself to us, but he sighed before sitting up straight.

"Hey, I'm Otobo, I am eighteen as well and I could say I'm pretty down to earth myself," he coolly said staring into the fire before glancing at me across from him.

The others looked at me and expected my introduction next. I sat up and was uncertain of how to say it and what to say. I thought about it for a moment and cleared my throat before opening my mouth to speak.

"Hey guys, I'm Katana Himura, or Kat for short. I just turned eighteen yesterday and I am a Chunin from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I am an apprentice of the Hokage herself, I'm a medical ninja as well and I'm usual a nice person. However, if you piss me off for any reason, I will strike you in the face," I said with a smile.

I think I freaked them out a little because when I finished, they shuddered in their seats and gave fear filled looks at me, especially Seko. He appeared to have gulped as he stared at me worryingly. But I had to deliver an important message: if you dealt with me wrongfully, you'll pay the consequences. Otobo wasn't buying it though. He must've seen me as less than a threat, since I was smaller than him.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Kat Himura," Eriku said politely, giving a welcoming smile, which I returned the favor.

"Alright! Now that we got that out of the way, what's next on the agenda Eriku?," Seko asked excitedly.

Otobo sighed of relief, with a bored expression on his face.

"Tonight, we should rest and move out first thing in the morning. Tomorrow we will discuss a few things with Kat about the mission, as the Kazekage recommended. If things go smoothly on this trip, we should arrive at the village within the three days as usual. Let's just hope that we don't encounter an ambush before we can get full coverage on our assignment," Eriku explained so seriously.

I agreed with him by nodding. We could get stopped by shinobi of other villages, criminals and spies usually, who would mostly likely request top secret information from our villages so they could invade, assassinate the Kages and even take complete control of them. There were countless possibilities.

Every country in this ninja world always had to pick a fight with someone, which could result in wars that would scar us for years to come. It was like sibling rivalries with each village, one against the other, to see who was more superior. It was kind of childish, but was extremely serious if a war broke out.

"I don't see why we have to explain the situation to the girl. I mean, why didn't the Hokage do that in the first place?," Otobo said rudely.

Eriku began scolding him while Seko looked confused. I gave him an irritated glare.

"Otobo, the Hokage was busy with other matters that she relied on us to give the info to Kat. Don't you remember her instructing us to do so?," Eriku reminded his teammate, keeping a firmly cool expression.

"Pff! I personally don't give a damn. I don't understand why the Kazekage decided to hire Leaf Village trash to help us out on this mission," Otobo spat out.

"Otobo!," Eriku growled furiously, standing to show superiority towards his teammate.

I was overwhelmed with shock and frustration. This guy was talking bad about me and he didn't even know me. I wasn't sure how to react to him ugly comments and remained silent, trying to control my emotions. Unfortunately, I became upset with him and clenched my hands into fist on my lap.

"Dude, why do you hate Leaf Shinobi so much? I thought you learned to drop your anger towards them. Please don't take it out on Miss Katana," Seko pleaded.

Otobo ignored him friend's suggestion and stood up, pointing a finger at me from across the campfire. His eyes inflamed with a sudden hatred towards me. I was unaware of the reason he was acting this way and I was about to tolerate it, but I was still uncertain about the right move to pull.

"It's people like her and the other Leaf Village scum bags that cause me to behave in this manner! After what they did to me… To the ones I cared about and loved for so long… The pain they caused me has left me with a giant scar in my heart and soul… I can never forgive them for what they did! They can all go to hell and burn into oblivion! Including her because she's part of their worthless, life stealing, deceiving world!," Otobo exclaimed with such darkness and fury in his voice directly to me.

"Shut up!," I snapped, "Who the hell gave you a right to point fingers and shout such bullshit towards me?! Who gave you the idea that all Leaf shinobi are bad, huh?! You don't know me! You don't know what I'm like for you to be judging me! You think we're all the same?!"

He continued to scold me. Eriku and Seko remained speechless as they were unable to interfere with mine and Otobo's argument.

"You all are the same! A bunch of back stabbing, murderous liars!," he shouted at me, pure rage in his terra cotta brown eyes.

I completely lost my temper. I twisted my body to the side to furiously punch a tree and bust it in half horizontally. It tumbled down and creaked loudly until it crashed onto the surface of the ground, vibrating the forest at our feet.

When I returned my glares to all three of them, Eriku was appalled by the incredible strength I possessed, Seko shocked with his eyes as huge as baseballs and his jaw dropped widely, and Otobo with a stiff frown. They now saw that my attack on the tree was a warning that should be registered in their minds before they made another mistake.

"If you ever talk smack about me and my village, you will end up like this tree…," I warned them as I kept the glare and stormed off.

I needed to clear my mind and calm down after I released my anger and frustration in front of them. Although Otobo was guilty for starting it, I felt I was also at fault for allowing him to get the better of my emotions and cause me to react in that harsh attitude.

My short temperament was not something I could easily contain, especially when someone was poking at my sides with a stick and say terrible things about me, my loved ones and my village and assume that we were all bad people. I could not tolerate any of it!

I found a lake nearby the campsite, hoping to find some peace and serenity after those horrible outbursts we unleashed on each other. I sat beside a giant boulder that rested right by the body of water, inhaled a good amount of fresh air and let it go slowly.

I watched as the moon shined on the surface of the lake, making it sparkle when the water lightly rippled. I noticed how the sky was clear, with no speck of clouds to cover the beautiful arrangement of stars that twinkled in the night. This was what I really needed. Pure tranquility.

However, it was not enough to help calm my nerves. Otobo emotionally damaged me when he said those hurtful things to me. I couldn't bear to hold in my tendency to cry any longer and began sniffling. Tears rolled down my cheeks and onto my lap as I wept harder, gripping the patch of grass tight until I ripped them out of the dirt ground.

I wished for nothing more than to return home and stay there. I wanted to get away from these people. I also wished for someone to help sooth me from this exasperation. But I was far from my home and there was no one that was going to be there for me.

"Beautiful view isn't it?," a male voice said from a short distance.

I immediately pulled out a kunai from my holster and held it in front as I sat in a defensive stance and tried to put my sobbing to a halt. When I turned my head to see who it was, Eriku stood there with a sad smile across his face.

"Oh. Hey," I said as I put away my kunai back in its place and wiped my tears away.

He got closer and sat right next to me, admiring the lake's natural beauty as much as I was. It felt awkward to be by him, mainly because I knew little about him and I didn't have a clue of what kind of person he really was. I avoided making eye contact with him by peering over the lake so he wouldn't notice my puffy and moist red eyes.

"It's things like this that make me grateful I'm alive to see it. The glorious and peaceful wonders that life has to offer," he ranted on as he beamed at the almost half moon.

"Yeah…," I mumbled as I looked down at my hands.

He noticed how I was attempting to hide my sadness as I choked back my tears. From the corner of my slightly cloudy eyes, I could tell he was frowning, looking sympathetic for me.

As more tears started rolling down my faces, I felt an arm wrap around me. Eriku then pulled me closer to him so he could comfort me. I was surprised of how kind he seemed to be. He never took his softened eyes off of the shining lake.

"I'm sorry my friend hurt your feelings. He usually is never this verbally violent towards anybody. He's actually a nice guy once you become more familiar with him. You see, he's had a bad history with shinobi from your village and it has dramatically affected him since," he explained apologetically.

I looked up and met my eyes with his twinkling hazel eyes. I noted that he had pretty pair of eyes then.

"Like what…? What did "we" do to him…?," I questioned rolling my eyes with the little attitude I still had in me at the moment.

Eriku sighed before removing his arm from my shoulders.

"They murdered his family. It happened overnight while Otobo was at a friend's house when he was eight years old," he said coolly.

"What? But… Why?," I asked in an undertone.

He continued the story, telling me that Otobo went to his friend's house right after he was released from the academy. He was having a good play date and had walked home. When he arrived, everything seemed eerie and as he got deeper into the house, he found his parents, his older and his younger brothers dead and drenched in their own blood, lying in puddles of it. That's when he caught a glimpse of the ninja that was inside the house at the time. He said that Otobo claimed that the ninja charged for him, planning to kill him off as well, until Otobo managed to stab the intruder with one of his kunai. The ninja died and was recognized as one of the Leaf shinobi from the forehead protector he wore.

Then Eriku told me how Otobo lost his girlfriend when he was fifteen. How she was on a mission and was ambushed by criminal from the Leaf, killed in action. He was going to surprise her with a promise ring for her birthday when she was supposed to return, but never got the chance to when he learned of her sudden death. Ever since then, he has built up a strong hate for the Leaf Village and all of its inhabitants.

"But, he was acting normal when you three were at the village waiting for me earlier," I commented quizzically.

I thought it was strange that Otobo was calm when I first met him and yet he suddenly changed as soon as we made introductions. He seemed like he had a Bi-Polar Disorder.

"He usually behaves when he's required to, but through that masked illusion, I can tell when he holds a grudge, suffering deep inside when he's reminded of his dark past," he said frowning at the lake.

I could tell he worried about his friend's behavior all the time just by looking at him scowled expression. He must have known that recruiting a Leaf ninja would stir up tension between us but had no other choice since our villages were allied. As leader, he must have a hard explaining to Otobo about how important it was to work with my village, seeing how he already felt about our shinobi and would've refused the mission if he wanted to.

I started feeling remorse for Otobo for once. The poor guy went through so much more misery than I ever did in my entire life. Losing your family and the love of your life had to be the worst feeling in the world, like everything just slipped through his fingers. If I was in his shoes, I was sure I'd share the same pain with him, but it was too bad I couldn't connect with him that way.

Now I realized why he despised my village so much. If it was the other way around and it all happened to me, I think I would've been angry as well.

"I've tried all that I could to make him feel better, but nothing seemed to work on him. Sometimes, Seko and I just wanna quit and accept that fact that he might never change his perspective on life and your village," Eriku told me with a sad frown.

It made me sad that here were a couple of good friends that only longed for happiness in their friend's life, but only received rejection and believed in giving up hope in the end. I couldn't just let him dwell on it and call quits.

I placed my right hand on his shoulder and smiled at him, which caught his attention.

"You shouldn't give up. You and Seko just need to try harder and have faith in yourselves and in Otobo. He can change for the better. In fact, during this mission, I will prove to him that not all Leaf shinobi are bad! I will help show him that we can be true allies once we put the past behind us and look forward as we work together in the future!," I proclaimed excitedly to him, smiling big and giving a thumbs up with my free hand.

He was left in awe after I made that brief speech. His frown flipped upside down and he surprised me with a warm hug.

"Thank you Kat," he said, sounding relieved in his voice.

All I could do was smile, pat his back a few times and once he released me, we glanced at each other before listening to the crickets playing their night song as we gazed at the star coated sky. We stayed there for several minutes silently before Eriku stood up.

"We should probably head back to camp. I'm sure Seko and Otobo have settled down and went to sleep already. We need to do the same," he suggested with a smirk.

I rose from my spot and returned the smirk.

"Yeah, that sounds good," I agreed, following him as well walked away from the lake. I had to speed walk a bit just to catch up to him because he was going at a fast pace for a moment.

"So earlier you said you were seventeen, which makes you the youngest in our group. How did someone like you get the captain position?," I asked curiously as I walked beside him.

"That's simple. The Kazekage realized how much of a badass I was at being a ninja, so he called me and gave me the job," he jokingly said, grinning in my direction.

We shared some laughs and I shoved him to the side, thinking he was just plain silly as we strolled back to our campsite, taking our minds off of the issues from our troublesome teammate Otobo.


	9. Chapter 8: The Trip To The Sand: Part 2

***Part two yay! Now that I got that out of the way, please enjoy and leave some good reviews! :)***

*Chapter 8: The Trip To The Sand: Part 2*

I slept pretty well last night. After Eriku comforted me when I had that outburst with our teammate Otobo, it was like all my worries about being with this squad slowly dissolved, allowing me to relax.

We woke up early the next morning, ready to cover as much road as possible before we had to set up camp again.

As we gathered everything and set off for traveling, the four of us remained awkwardly quiet, each of us only sharing brief glances at one another, especially Otobo and I.

He added glares mostly whenever he looked at me. I assumed he didn't fully get over our spat from last night and still had a hate for me and for my village, although he was taking it out on me since I was already present. I didn't mind though. If he was itching for a fight, I would gladly accept his challenge.

Seko started whistling, which killed the silence for a short moment. When I turned to see what Eriku was doing, he was gazing at the bright sky while also on alert in case of an ambush.

I was in front of him and Seko, but next to Otobo, which gave me some bad senses now and then, but I ignored as much as I could, I wasn't going to ruin this important mission because of some guy with anger issues.

My focus was on the road, wishing we'd get to the Sand Village sooner. But then, my mind started drifting into daydream mode. I wondered how my friends and family were back at home. How Zephyrus was doing on his mission, if he didn't return yet. How Deidara was on his assignment.

I became curious about him as we strolled through the forest while trying to pay attention to where I was heading. I knew I was angry with Deidara for what he did, even though he returned and hung out with me for those two nights and gave me that treasurable birthday gift, my mind told me I shouldn't go easy on him and continue to resent him, because it thought I was only going to get hurt even worse than before.

But my heart begged to differ. It told me that there was something different about him; something deeper than I ever thought could be so possible. I was uncertain of what it was talking about, but I did recall that first night he came back.

_How his eye softened and his grin dropped to almost a sad smile. Then he threw his arms around me and held me in a tight embrace, leaving me overwhelmed in surprise._

"_I really did miss you Kat, believe it or not. Hmm," were the words he softly said in my ear._

And then there were the Yin and Yang necklaces I had wanted years ago, but had given up on them when I believed Deidara was never coming back. He knew I desired them very much, so he kept his promise and gave them to me as my eighteenth birthday gift, although he took the Yin necklace to keep for himself, but I didn't mind. I knew what he was doing with it.

Those signs of affection made me wonder so much. Did he really mean those words? Did he actually miss me after so long? Was he trying to tell me something? My mind and heart were clashing with each other in this personal debate I had to myself.

"Kat?," Eriku called to me, taking my mind off of my distraction as I turned to face him, "Are you alright up there?"

I nodded and went back to facing the road. I had to forget about Deidara for a while. Just until this mission was complete.

Suddenly, we were startled when the sounds of bushes and trees the surrounded us began to rustle. It was strange, because I knew there was something not right going on there.

"Keep on your guards. I'm sensing something around here," Eriku commanded as he pulled out a kunai for protection. The rest of us followed and did the same.

The rustling stopped briefly after we stood in defensive mode and it seemed peculiarly quiet. There were no strong winds or a light breeze that day, so the trees and bushes shouldn't have been moving unless there were animals in hiding. Or even intruders.

It remained silent after a few minutes, except for a couple of birds that chirped and passed by over our heads. We waited patiently for any more sudden noises, but there was nothing being sounded.

We began to put out guards down and were about to walk off to continue our trip, until I heard rustling in a bush on my side and out of defensive reaction, I tossed the kunai knife at the bush and heard a thump where the knife should've hit something.

The others turned to the direction I was facing as we halted and waited for whatever it was to crawl out of its hiding place. After a minute, a chestnut brown squirrel popped out with an acorn in its mouth and its black beady eyes glancing at all of us.

I sighed of relief and lightly wiped the surface of my forehead with my fingers.

"The coast is clear," I said to the guys.

"Halt! Stay where you are!," A voice shouted from the side of us.

When we alertly turned around to face the side where we were originally heading, three shinobi in red and brown uniform stood before us. There were two guys and a girl with her hair in a bun, in the middle of the group, with a kunai in her hand, pointing the sharp tip at us.

I observed their headbands, revealing to have the symbol of the Hidden Stone Village. What were Stone shinobi doing out here, closer to the Leaf Village outskirts?

"We want no trouble. Tell us why you Stone ninja are here?," Eriku calmly questioned, trying to ease the situation.

The kunoichi smirked as Eriku stepped forward in front of our team to show his superiority.

"We're here on our own free will. In fact, we were searching for some eligible shinobi to test our abilities with. It looks like you four are the lucky winners," she told us as she placed her free hand on her hip.

She glanced at all three of the guys before suddenly keeping her gaze towards me. She frowned and pointed her kunai in my direction.

"You! You look familiar. What's your name?," she commented while she pondered on it.

I wasn't sure what she meant by that. I've never seen her in my life, at least, I didn't remember seeing her before.

"Katana Himura," I told her cautiously.

She was silent for several seconds, until her eyes lit up and she opened her mouth to speak.

"I know who you are now! That Leaf Village girl, Kat Himura! You use to hang out with Deidara and Kurotsuchi all the time when we were all kids," she said with a loud tone.

She sounded like the annoyingly loud mouth types, but she kept a serious face as she peered at me.

"How do you know me?," I asked, confused on how she knew me.

"Seriously?! You don't remember me?," she pouted.

I thought about it for a little bit. Nothing came across my mind about the girl.

Suddenly, I had a brief flashback.

_I was thirteen and I went to the Stone Village to spend the night at Deidara's house that weekend, as usual. Deidara had to run a special errand with the Third Tsuchikage Onoki, so I went to hang out with a girl named Kurotsuchi, who was Onoki's granddaughter and one of Deidara's teammates._

_She was actually nice and fun to be around. I didn't think we would get along, but it worked out well since she claimed it was because I was best friends with Deidara and that I was a sweet girl. She treated me like a sister and would keep me company. We would talk about a few girly things and some cool ninja stuff. We were practically great friends._

_On that day, we were sitting within the Stone Village, eating snacks and chit chatting away._

"_How are those chips?," Kurotsuchi asked me as she took a sip of her drink._

_I was eating some teriyaki flavored chip that I never tried before until then. They were delicious._

"_Very good," I answered with a smile._

_She grinned and took another sip from her cup before setting it down and turning her head towards me._

"_So, Kat? Seeing as how you and Deidara are the best of friends, what are your thoughts of him," she said curiously._

_I paused and looked quizzically at the short black haired girl. I thought about it for a short moment and met my brown eyes with her jet black eyes._

"_Well, he's nice and cool and fun to be with. I've been friends with him since we were about three or four, so I'm always comfortable around him and I can be honest with him. I love the sculptures he would make but I get kind of scared when he blows them up. But I'm okay with it. He always says I look cute when I blush, which is why I try not to but I can't help it sometimes!," I told her._

_She laughed at the part where I mentioned about blushing and Deidara finding it cute._

"_But you do look adorable when you blush," she agreed._

_I pouted and puffed my cheeks at her, which only made her laugh harder._

"_Do you like him?," she added after grasping her stomach from laughing too hard._

"_Well yeah, I do like him. He's an awesome friend," I said smiling brightly._

_She chuckled before giving me a devious grin._

"_No, I mean, do you like like him? Like more than a friend?," she questioned as her face was close to mine._

_I was surprised she asked me that my cheeks were flushed and warm. I knew I had to be blushing. I wasn't sure how to answer her, because I did really like Deidara, but I never thought I could consider him more than a friend, although he did flirt with me sometimes and I did give him a kiss on the cheek a couple of months earlier to show how much I cared about him. He also claimed that one day he would make me his wife, which shocked me a lot that he'd want me to marry him._

_My emotions were beginning to mix up as Kurotsuchi grinned and smashed her cheek against mine while waiting for my answer. I was about to say something when a couple of girls came over to us._

"_Hey Kurotsuchi. What are you doing hanging with this Leaf Village pest?," a girl with dark brown hair in a bun said rudely._

"_This Leaf Village pest happens to be my best friend, Kat Himura. What do you want Takuna?," Kurotsuchi defended me._

_Takuna Mushiba was a real bully back when I was a young girl. She would come over and harass me all the time about being a Leaf ninja and being around Deidara a lot. I never understood why she seemed like she had a problem with me, which hurt my feelings, but Deidara always protected me from her and her gang._

"_I just came to chat. I'm surprised you also take a liking for this girl Kuro. You usually don't like people from the Hidden Leaf," Takuna reminded Kurotsuchi._

_It was true that she disliked my village in fact the majority of the Hidden Stone despised it, but she treated me differently. She welcomed me with open arms and accepted me into her family when I became closer to Deidara and met her grandfather. After all, she was like my big sister._

"_Kat is special! She's like my family and I will not allow you guys to say otherwise," Kuro shouted as she wrapped one arm around me and pulled me to her._

_She was very protective of me, which made me have a sense of security around her when Deidara was absent. But I was afraid she could put herself into a fight just for the sake of me, which was something I didn't want from her. If anything went wrong, I didn't want her to get hurt because of me._

"_Oh really?," Takuna said as she came up to me and yanked my headband off my head and held it in her hand._

"_Hey! Give that back!," I exclaimed at Takuna as I stood up and tried to retrieve my forehead protector._

"_This is what I think about it," Takuna said as she threw it on the ground and stomped on it, getting it dirty._

"_No! Stop it!," I cried as I kneeled down to swipe my headband from under her feet. Tears started rolling down my cheek as I glared at her._

_She eventually moved her foot away and I managed to grab my now filthy forehead protector. While I was distracted with trying to clean it off, Takuna grabbed me by the hair and started yanking on it, hurting my scalp as she pulled and tugged._

"_You're pathetic, you know that? You're so easy to upset and you cry like a baby. I don't see what Deidara sees in you!," she yelled as she tugged hard._

_I cried even more as I was defenseless against her. Deidara wasn't here to save me like he usually did. Suddenly, I felt her release her grip on my hair and I looked up to see Kurotsuchi lifting both girls by their collars._

"_Leave… Katana… Alone!," she shouted with flames in her eyes. She swung the girls in a circle before giving them a powerful toss into the air, sending them flying above the village and even twinkled._

_I was left in awe from how strong she was and how she saved me from the two bullies. Kurotsuchi then turned her attention to me with an assuring smile and stuck her hand out for me to grab, assuring me that everything's alright._

"_Thank you Kuro," I gratefully said softly._

"_I've always got your back. We're sisters, remember that," she told me._

_I was relieved to have a friend like her as I grasped her hand to help pull me up on my feet._

_Deidara got after Takuna and her friend once Kuro told him what happened. Of course he would be on my side, being close friends had its benefits._

I hadn't been in contact with Kurotsuchi ever since Deidara left their village. I would've made the effort to go visit her, but I was caught up in so much work and training, also I was still devastated about Deidara becoming a missing-ninja and a wanted criminal. It was difficult to recover from. I wasn't sure if Kuro even cared about me anymore.

But now I was facing another problem: seeing the bully return.

"Takuna Mushiba," I said, thinking she wouldn't hear me.

She grinned as she lowered her kunai to her side.

"I'm glad you remembered my name. It's been so long Kat, yet you still look like a shorty," she commented as she chuckled.

I hated when people made fun of my shortness.

"I see you still haven't changed your ways," I added as I shifted my eyebrows.

"You know this girl Katana?," Eriku asked with a confused look on his face.

"Yes. She used to bully me in the past when I would visit an old friend of mine in the Hidden Stone," I explained as I maintained my focus on Takuna.

The four of us peered at the three Stone shinobi, wondering what to do next, since they were already interfering with our plans to head for the Sand Village. Even Eriku hesitated a bit, trying to brainstorm our next move.

"That's right. However, Deidara's gone and there's no way for him to save you. Not even Kurotsuchi can help you once I take you down here and now," she said as she sneered at me mostly.

She was right. None of the two she named were here to assist me. I was on my own now, but it wasn't a problem for me anymore, because I got stronger over a period of time and I was ready to rub her face in the dirt like she did to my headband.

I was about to walk up to her until Eriku put his arm out to hold me back.

"We do not wish to fight you. We just want to move along and go straight to where we need to," he said, hoping to convince them to leave.

From the malicious look on her face, I could tell it wasn't convincing enough for her.

"I'm sorry but we will not allow you to pass. Not unless you can defeat us first. Zuki! Fumota!," she grinned as she and her partners prepared for battle.

I sensed trouble was brewing with these three. She never gives up until she's either satisfied or defeated, which in our case, we needed to take her down and fast.

"Oh no. What do we do boss?," Seko asked worryingly.

Eriku sighed as he realized they were going to have to accept this battle one way or another.

"Like she said, we fight until we have defeated them," Eriku smirked as he readied himself, while the rest of us mimicked it.

I smirked out of excitement. It was a pleasure to get the chance to take on the girl who messed with me years ago. I punched into my left hand and prepared myself for a fight to remember. It was time for payback!

After several minutes of clashing our kunai against each other's, we started to take it up a notch. Seko went against Zuki, Otobo against Fumota, and then there was Eriku and I against Takuna. Two on one sounded like that better odds. But she was a tough one to inflict damage to, even with two people.

When she evaded our attacks, it seemed like she was dancing past them, like she was a ballerina. It was becoming irritating for me to stand any longer. It was very frustrating.

I threw a few punches and kicks at her while Eriku tried it as well simultaneously, but she managed to dodge those and leapt back, chuckling at our failure to land a hit on her.

"What's the matter Kat? Can't throw a simple punch? As always, you're still as pathetic as ever," she said as she stood there, sticking her tongue out at me.

This angered me a lot and I needed to act quickly, so while she was distracted, I leapt into the air until I was above her spot, made a few hand signs and lifted my right leg to try and kick her as I fell. Because she was foolish enough to keep ranting on about how bad I was until she saw how close I was and tried to jump away, I got to land a powerful kick on the surface of the ground, crumbling and shaking the forest as I created a giant crater underneath my foot.

It jerked her body side to side as she backed away from my attack and she closed her eyes from getting debris of rock into her eyes. There was one lesson Tsunade had taught me, and it was to never close your eyes on the enemy.

When she did, I had a shadow clone pop up behind her and kick her in the side area of her body, sending her flying across the woods and dragging onto the ground.

After she stopped rolling and laid there for a couple of minutes, Takuna struggled to sit up as Eriku and I ran up to her but maintained our distance from her in case she attacked.

"Nice moves Kat. Great way to steal all the fun though," Eriku said jokingly.

I giggled and peered at the dirt covered bully who tried to catch her breath for a quick second.

"Oh my. I didn't realize how much stronger you got. How did you…?," she paused as she coughed and grasped the side where I kicked her.

"Easy. My master is the Hokage herself. One of the Legendary Sannin and a world class medical ninja, Tsunade," I proudly answered.

I really had to give Tsunade all the credit for training me, with made me what I am today: one badass chick!

Takuna was surprised that she now knew how I learned to possess such my power, but then she smirked, chuckling in her throat silently as she slowly rose up and stood, letting go of her stomach.

"I'm actually glad you toughened up a bit. It makes the fight more challenging. However…," she paused as she performed three hand signs and concentrated, "That won't be enough to stop me in my tracks!"

Eriku and I were on the alert and we were uncertain of what she was plotting to do. But I couldn't just stand there and wait to see. I had to make another move and keep my distance. I moved to the side and tried to think of an immediate strategy.

When I noticed how Eriku just stood there in the same spot from the corner of my eyes, I turned to check why he wasn't moving. He looked paralyzed with sudden fear. He seemed like he could barely struggle from where he stood. I scanned the surroundings to scout out why he was like this and spotted something on the back of his neck.

A tiny stun dart. He was injected with a paralyzer, but I couldn't recall when it occurred. I wasn't sure if he was completely numb, but he couldn't move to save himself. And to top it off, his feet were being held by a pair of hands sticking out from beyond the surface of the ground.

"Oh no! She must've created a clone while she was dragging across the ground after my kick!," I thought in my mind, noting that the clone was indeed underground keeping Eriku from trying to escape.

"Now prepare to be blown apart from your own two feet! Once I take care of you, I'll have the full pleasure of taking down Deidara's little girlfriend!," Takuna shouted as she stuck out her hands to face the palms towards the numb Eriku, grinning maliciously as she prepared to launch her attack.

I started running as fast as I could towards Eriku, trying to collect my thoughts and figure out how to get him out of the way of the jutsu's path.

"Wind Style: Divine Down Current!," she yelled as she released a huge vortex of wind in his direction.

Finally, I figured out what I had to do to save him. I realized, I had to throw myself in its path somehow. I was going to make a sacrifice for my new friend, who I barely knew, but it didn't matter. I didn't want him to get killed because I didn't do anything about it.

"Look out!," I shouted as I used my strength to push him far to the side and felt an incredible force of wind push me into midair.

I found myself flying across the forest and it felt like it was never ending. The wind brushed against my body ruthlessly, my hair whacked at my face and my arms. As I started getting lower, I felt branches from trees smack and scratch against my skin, leaving me cuts and scrapes as I lifted my arms crossed in front to cover my face.

When I landed roughly onto the ground, my body bounced and slid against it, the pain was excruciating. I attempted to dig my fingers into the dirt floor to help slow down my speed and miraculously, I eventually stopped rolling and was left face down into the ground.

My entire body was aching dramatically, my fingers, especially my nails were stinging and burning from the impact.

I cautiously pulled myself up and sat beside a tree, placing my hand on it to help support me as I rose up and stood on my feet. I was surprised I managed to get up, although I was in a lot of pain. Unexpectedly, I felt a sharp pain in my side, so I glanced and noticed a red spot forming on my shirt. When I lifted it up, I saw a big gash above my hip area. I was bleeding out and I needed to treat it quickly.

I removed my fingerless gloves and put them in my pocket. Then I had one hand hold up my shirt while I used the other to perform my healing jutsu on the cut.

I managed to stop the bleeding for a good while, but if I moved too much then I would end up reopening the wound.

I checked my surroundings as I slipped my gloves back on, trying to find out where I was. Uncertain of my exact location, I started running for a little while before the pains in my leg kicked in, so I decided the best thing to do was to walk.

It almost felt like my bones were broken, but since I was able to move parts of my body well enough, I knew I could handle walking to find my teammates.

I had been traveling for several minutes and had found no sight of Eriku or the others. I was beginning to worry that I was in fact lost in the darkest part of the woods. I was freaked out by the noises and sounds that the animals and trees made as I passed by. I was scared I would never find my way back.

"Katana!," a familiar faint voice cried out.

I was thankful that someone was out there and nearby. I almost started crying tears of joy as I absentmindedly sprinted through the wilderness.

"I'm here!," I would shout to get their attention.

They continued to shout my name again and again, letting me know they were coming for me. I was relieved that everything was going to be okay.

Suddenly, I never noticed that my foot got caught in a wire that was lined between two trees and tripped face down.

Then, out of nowhere, thick black strips of unknown material wrapped around my ankles and began to drag me across the forest ruthlessly, causing a shrill of fear to escape my lips as I was moving far away from my hopeful comrades.

I tried to put all my effort into clawing the ground again to stop me, but I ended up breaking my fingers and bending a couple of them in different directions. I shrieked after feeling the agonizing pain in my hands increase.

My vision became blurry as my head became light-headed. I was losing consciousness fast and I had to stay awake or I would die out there in the forest. But it was too hard to control as my eyes started to drift off nearly to the back of my head.

When I finally stopped, I found myself lying face up and saw two tall figures standing above me.

"Well well, look what we got here? Looks like this girl accidentally got caught into our trap and she appears to be in real bad shape," a deep eerie voice said to the other person.

"Ah, it doesn't fucking matter! She will make a fine sacrifice for Lord Jashin once I prepare the ritual," the other voice said as it started to sound faint as my hearing was going bad as well.

I couldn't make out what they were discussing next, but it seemed like the one on the left didn't want to kill me while the other on the right protested against it. It turned out that the left one won the argument.

I slowly slipped into unconsciousness and blacked out before I could see what they were going to do to me.


	10. Chapter 9: Held Hostage

*Chapter 9: Held Hostage*

Everything still appeared black, dark all around me. I couldn't have been awake because everything seemed empty and it felt weary.

I sat up and scanned the area, seeing nothing but endless darkness like an abyss.

"Hello?," my words echoed from loud to faint.

I found myself wearing a short flaring white dress that reached down to my knees and had thin straps on my shoulders. The Yang necklace I had put on the night I camped out with my teammates was still around my neck. I also noticed that I was barefooted as I could feel the coolness on the soles of my feet.

My hair was smooth and straight while I noted that my skin had no cuts or bruises. Not even blood was detected on my body and no pains anywhere.

"I must be dreaming," I said in an undertone.

A loud clank noise sounded several feet from where I stood. It would go from slow to fast until it changed to the sound of rolling as it got closer. The dark object that made the noise made its way in front of me. I peered at it skeptically before realizing what it was. It was a smoke bomb.

It blew up a large cloud of smoke that surrounded me and was slightly suffocating me. I coughed and waved my hands around to clear the smoke out of the way, when I saw a dark figure standing before me.

I was startled as I caught a glimpse of the mysterious cloaked individual. He wore all black and had a hood over his head, opaque in the inside. I couldn't see their face.

"Who are you?," I questioned the stranger.

He remained silent and as still as a statue. It freaked me out a little that he made no movement or sounds for the next couple of minutes.

Unexpectedly, the stranger grabbed at the middle of his cloak, pulled apart the buttons that closed it together and slowly revealed his entire bare chest. I wasn't sure what he was trying to show me when I clearly saw nothing but skin.

Suddenly, something lit up in the shape of a heart where their actual heart was supposed to be. Curious, I carefully raised my hand and was about to touch it, when I felt a slight sting in my middle finger. When I checked, it was a small cut that mysteriously on the tip on it.

The dark stranger gently grabbed my hand and lightly placed my fingers on the glowing spot on his body. I witnessed as the injury I had recently received suddenly disappeared. It was one of the craziest things I've ever seen. How could a light such as that heal my wound? It couldn't possibly be some other type of healing jutsu, otherwise I would've known about it.

As I peered in awe at my healed finger, wiggling and playing with it, the stranger started groaning in pain as he grasped his lit up heart area. I was beginning to worry and tried to reach out to him.

"Oh no, are you okay sir?," I asked concerning.

The heart shaped light glowed brighter to the point where it was extremely blinding. I closed my eyes shut and used my arms to shield them better.

I heard a loud boom right in front of me. I also felt something wet splash all over me, which alarmed me when the smell of iron filled my nose.

I cautiously lowered down my arms and observed myself. The mysterious man was gone, but there was one problem. I was covered in blood. It stained my dress with blotches, barely leaving any white visible, and my skin was coated with the sticky think substance.

I was in shock. I was confused on where it came from, or who it was from. When I spotted a piece of black cloth on the floor soaked from the puddle of blood it laid on, I began to tremble through my body as I reached down and picked it up.

It felt like the material the stranger wore as his cloak. That's when I realized, this blood was from the mysterious man. He exploded and his red body fluid splashed on me.

I panicked and let out a shrill of terror.

My eyes flew wide open and I jumped in place as I quickly sat up and breathed rapidly. I quickly looked around as my heart raced, not really paying attention to my surroundings. I touched my face and checked myself. No blood.

"It was just a dream…," I sighed of relief.

"You finally woke up," I deep eerie voice said, which started me.

I felt my eyes grow huge as I slowly turned my head to the right and saw a tall man in a black cloak sitting next to the door on the left side. I let out a quick shriek when I saw him.

He had dark skin, green colored eyes, but what was supposed to be white on the eyeballs was pink and wore a dark mask over his face. He also wore a hat with a metal plate on the forehead area with the symbol for the Village Hidden by a Waterfall slashed out.

I darted the cloak when I noticed it had crimson red clouds on it, just like Deidara's.

"He must be another member of the Akatsuki," I thought as I narrowed my eyes, examining him more carefully.

"Why are you staring at me like that?," he asked without changing his expression.

"You're a member of the Akatsuki, aren't you?," I asked.

He sighed before answering.

"Yes I am. You must be the girl Deidara has been going out to see for the past couple of days," he guessed correctly.

I was surprised he knew that. But how?

"H-How did you know that?," I twisted my body a tad bit when a pain in my side and groaned.

"Be careful. Your wound opened when we found you in our trap, so I treated it and stitched it up to help close it. You wouldn't want to reopen it and bleed out," he warned me in his deep creepy tone, "I also popped your fingers back into their places since they were broken and crooked."

After he told me that, I realized I was in a futon bed and when I lifted up the blanket that covered over the majority of my body, I found myself topless. The upper half of my body was wrapped with bandages, except for the part where he stitched me up above my hip. I glided my fingers across it. Even my shorts were gone and I was in my underwear!

"Ah! I'm practically naked under here! What did you do to my clothes?!," I shouted in great shock.

"I removed them obviously. They were filthy and worn out, so I threw them away," he answered, still with his same non-changing expression.

"You did what?! Why?! So you saw me naked?!," I exclaimed angrily embarrassed. My face was flushed, I could tell because it was warm.

He sighed and grabbed the bridge of his nose out of frustration.

"Yes. How do you think I wrapped your wounds? Hidan was staring, but I tried as hard as I could to block his view," he said patiently.

"Who's Hidan?," I asked loudly and curiously.

"Ugh! Kakuzu, will you shut that bitch up?! I can hear her from all the way down the fucking hall," a man with only a towel wrapped around his waist said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

He certainly had a nice body, light skinned, had short silver hair that was messy until he slicked it back when he looked at me, and his eyes were purple. He also wore a strange necklace around his neck. It was a pendant of a peculiar symbol. I never saw anything like it. He peered down at me as I blushed and held the blanket over me to keep him from seeing me half nude.

"So you must be Hidan?," I said as I looked up at him skeptically.

"Yeah, what about it?," he arched an eyebrow and sneered.

Then I scrolled my eyes to the other guy still sitting.

"And you're Kakuzu?," I asked arching an eyebrow towards him.

"That's right," he answered roughly.

I scanned the room, wondering where I was, since it appeared neat and clean.

"Where am I?," I asked peering at the ceiling.

"You are in a hotel. We are staying here for the night and unfortunately, you will be stuck as our prisoner until we return to the Akatsuki hideout. Our leader can deal with you then," Kakuzu explained in a frightening tone.

I swear I felt a chill run down my spine as he said those things. I gulped at the thought that I was being held hostage and they were going to take me to their hideout, where I would meet the other members of Akatsuki. I was more worried of what their leader was like. Hopefully, I don't get killed and that someone comes to my rescue.

"Yeah so when we go to sleep, I'm gonna tie your fucking hands so you don't try anything suspicious!," Hidan announced to me, grinning deviously.

I had a bad feeling in my gut and I knew there was no way out of this. These guys had to be dangerous if they were part of the same group as Deidara. I sighed as I realized I had to accept it, be patient and act cool until there was an advantage, which seemed like now wasn't a good time.

"Fine," I groaned, pouting at the blanket.

"Hidan, you will keep an eye on her while I go run an errand real quick," Kakuzu commanded his partner.

Hidan didn't seem too happy about watching me as he arched an eyebrow and pointed at me.

"What?! I have to fucking babysit this little bitch?!," he angrily shouted, sounding like he might beg for mercy from me.

I was ticked off at the fact he referred to me as "little" and used the term "babysit", like as if I was some child.

"Hey! I'm not little! I'm eighteen years old! I'm pretty much an adult now!," I yelled at the half naked man who glowered at me.

His frown turned into a devilish grin as he chuckled and looked at me. Uncertain of what he was thinking, I gripped the blanket tighter over my body.

"Well that explains why you have a fucking decent pair of t-!"

"Enough Hidan," Kakuzu interrupted him before he could finish his sentence, "This young lady clearly doesn't want to be treated as such."

I nodded approvingly and stuck my tongue out at the gray haired man.

"Hey, you better put that fucking tongue back in your mouth before I fucking cut it off!," Hidan threatened.

I reluctantly obeyed and became annoyed at the fact he cursed a lot. Everything he said apparently had to include a bad word or two, which was ugly in my opinion.

"You have a big fat potty mouth. I'm surprised your friend hasn't stuck a bar of soap in your mouth by now for having that kind of language," I commented thoughtlessly.

He got tense and very mad that he walked up to me swiftly, kneeled down and had his face close to mine, glaring as he met his dull violet eyes with mine. I tensed up from the realization that he was bad news and he was also naked under that towel. We were basically having a staring match with each other.

"You've got a fucking problem with how I talk? Then why don't you say it to my fucking face?!," he growled.

"I don't like your fucking tone!," I spat in his face, shocked that I said the "f" word while forgetting that he could kill me in an instant for talking back to him.

Surprisingly, he didn't do such thing. He only looked at me, amazed at how I cursed and stood up against him, although he didn't like it at all. In fact, he grinded his teeth together out of anger and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Why you little brat!," he yelled as I felt his breath hit my face.

"Enough you two!," Kakuzu shouted. I could tell he sounded annoyed by the grouchy tone in his voice when he said that. I hid myself underneath the blanket, terrified a bit. I didn't want to get on his bad side, ever.

Hidan stood up and rubbed the back of his head, frowning at his partner. The tall dark man then cleared his throat and turned to open the door, but before he was about halfway out the doorway, he paused and stood facing outward.

"I'll be back. You two better get along or you'll be sorry. And as for you question of how I knew you were associated with Deidara? You necklace is the other half of the one he has. Those are the rarest of its kind and he managed to get them for the both of you. You must be very special for him to have given you something so valuable," he said before fully exiting the room and shutting the door behind him.

I couldn't believe what I heard. I peered down at my necklace and held it in my hand, rubbing the surface of it gently, astonished that these necklaces were the rarest, as he claimed.

"So these are the only pair of this kind?," I thought curiously amazed at it.

"Pfft! Big deal! That piece if shit isn't worth as much as this little baby here," he said as he lifted his strange pendant for me to see. Then as he smirked and chuckled at my puzzled reaction, he kissed it and left it dangling around his neck.

I was left in the same room with a mysterious, mischievous grinning, potty mouthed, half nude man and honestly, I wasn't sure if I was partially enjoying it or I was going to fully regret that I even had thoughts of it being a bit pleasant.

As he continued to stare and smirk at me indecently, I hid my body under the blanket, having only half of my head stick out so I could monitor his actions. I hoped that he wouldn't try anything funny, like attempt to rape me or something. He had that crazed look in his eyes and a bad aura surrounding him. I knew I couldn't keep my eyes off of him or it would probably been the end of me.

He let out a sigh before turning to face his back at me.

"You know, you're fucking lucky you're Deidara's girl, otherwise, I would've used you as a sacrifice to my Lord Jashin," he complained.

"Hey, I-!," I paused when I noticed he was about to remove his towel from his body.

I began to blush heavily when I barely saw the crack of his butt. How rude of him for not letting me know ahead of time that he planned to change into his clothes.

"You could've warned me, you know!," I shouted as I sunk my head further into in the blanket.

He glanced at my direction and chuckled as he tossed his towel to the side, carelessly flashing his buttocks. I shut my eyes and kept them closed until he was done putting on his clothing. He took his time, which felt like forever, but at least it was over sooner. That was embarrassing for me to have seen him like that.

For the rest of the day, until Kakuzu returned from his errand, Hidan sat on the ground, watching me like a hawk. I wasn't comfortable with him staring at me, but I couldn't avoid it. I was stuck with him, whether I liked it or not. But I sure was annoyed of it.

Later, he came up to me and pulled out a long piece of thick rope and beckoned for me to raise both arms so he could wrap them around my wrists.

"Ow! Be gentle damn it!," I complained as he tightened the rope too tight and roughly.

"Sorry miss, but I don't give a shit about how you feel. You're going to have to deal with the fucking pain," he said rudely smirking at me as he finished tying it and released his grip.

My hands were useless at my defense and they were hurting, rubbing against my skin continuously. I groaned as it irritated my wrists, but of course, he didn't care one bit. He somehow enjoyed my minor suffering. He was still kneeled down at my level where I still sat, with him in my personal space.

"Do you mind?," I said with an attitude as I wiggled my hands away for him to remove himself from my face.

He deeply chuckled as he ignored my wish. I slightly backed away from him after that creepy laugh.

"Well aren't you just fucking adorable?," he said as he pinched my cheek and moved his head close to where his was right beside mine.

My body tensed up as I felt his unbelievably soft lips brush against my neck, then he moved to where his mouth was by my right ear, feeling his light breath hit it. My heart raced a little faster than normal.

I only sat still because I was very unsure of what to do. If I had pushed him away, he probably would've killed me in a spilt second or maybe just torture me by slicing my skin or cutting off a finger. I was actually scared, worried of what he'd do to me if I didn't fight back, but my body froze unwillingly and I was still hurt from head to toe.

I didn't know what to do as I waited for him to make another move.

"No wonder Deidara has a thing for you. After hearing from Sasori about how he fucking blabbed about his stories of when he used to spent a lot of time with you to him and how he would become distracted when he stared at his shitty necklace, I honestly wanted to fucking know who made that fucking brat so lovesick. From the looks of things, he seems to be into cute little feisty bitches," he whispered in my ear, which gave me chills down my spine.

I was in so much disbelief. I never imagined Deidara acting like that because of me. Although I did feel that he was acting a bit different around me from the last two days he visited. I still didn't trust him. No matter what Hidan was telling me, I didn't believe it, because my anger still bubbled inside for him, even though I sensed something changed in him and wanted to let it go already.

"R-Really?," I stuttered softly for a reassurance from him, starting to slightly trembling throughout my entire body of nervousness.

My cheeks were very warm and my body temperature was rising. I could tell he was smirking against my ear.

"Hell yeah, but he mentioned lately that you were fucking furious with him, which made him sort of upset, so he's trying to find ways to ease your fucking anger towards him," he added.

This was more surprising to hear.

"Ease my anger?," I repeated in a questionable tone while arching an eyebrow.

Deidara wanted to help make me less angry at him? That could possibly take a dramatically long time, but I would give him credit for trying, if I made it out of here first.

"Yup. But I don't see why you should waste your time with that fucker, when you could be using it more fucking wisely with me," he said coolly in a teasing manner.

I was skeptical about what he meant and before I could protest, I felt his wet warm tongue slowly glide against my bare neck, causing me to shutter and let out a small and silent whimper. It tingled throughout my entire body, although I didn't want it to happen. I knew it was wrong. He grinned against my skin, believing I liked it.

Fear began flooding my mind with terrible thoughts. I believed he was really going to rape me then and there, while Kakuzu was absent.

I hadn't felt this scared since I was weakly hanging from the tree for my life that one night. I wanted someone to help me and soon. I was vulnerable to defend myself since my arms were tied and I was still weak from earlier that day when they found me. I didn't want to fight because I was afraid to quickly die or open my huge gash on my side.

I was hopeless.

Miraculously, Kakuzu slammed open the door and caught his partner in the act. He did not look too pleased with what he saw.

"Hidan, what are you doing to the girl? You know she's with Deidara!," he exclaimed angrily.

Hidan peered up at him and gave an evil glare, standing up straight as he kept his sight on him.

"Yeah so what? Like I give a shit!," Hidan complained.

They began to argue with one another about the situation. I assumed they did this all the time when Hidan does something he shouldn't. I was glad that Deidara was my excuse for living through this, although there were countless times I wanted to protest and say that I wasn't his girlfriend.

From what they've told me already, Deidara seemed to have a real interest in me, which made me blush at the thought of it, because deep inside my heart, he had to have liked me more than a friend for a very long time.

Ever since I remembered him promising that he would make me his wife in the future, I've started to think that he was actually meaning it, because he must have really liked me, maybe even secretly loved me. But at the same time, my mind is contrasting and telling me that he was only toying with my emotions so he could get closer and ruin my life, saying whatever he thinks will trick me into letting my guard down. I wasn't sure what to believe as my feelings were mixing up again and it was making my head and chest ache.

The two men stopped yelling into each other's faces when they noticed me rolled up into a ball and silently whining. I saw them both peering down at me as I tried to figure myself out, wishing there was a true answer to what was right. I buried my face into my legs trying hard not to cry.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?," Hidan asked me frowning in a mad way.

Finally, I put my thoughts of Deidara aside for a moment and unrolled myself, sniffling a little bit before I opened my mouth to answer.

"Nothing…," I replied as I glowered to the floor and remained silent.

A couple of hours later, the three of us decided it was time for bed. Since Kakuzu didn't want to waste money on an extra room for me because he reasons were one: that they were expensive and two: he predicted I would try to escape if he did, I was left unfortunate to sleep in the same room as him and Hidan. Because he witnessed his partner trying to have his way with me, Kakuzu made bedding arranges, leaving me where I was on the very right on the room, him in the middle and Hidan on the left. I mentally agreed to that placement, since I didn't want Hidan attempting to have sex with me again.

The two Akatsuki members were sound asleep quicker than I had imagined. I thought one of them would've been awake much longer than the other.

"I wish I was having a good night's rest…," I mumbled to myself softly in a whisper, glancing at both of the men before peering up at the light colored ceiling.

I laid there, wanting to clear my mind so I could sleep peacefully, but that night was different. I was being held hostage by two S-Ranked criminals, who were also members of Akatsuki like Deidara; I was far from home, from my wonderful village, from my peaceful apartment and my comfortable bed; I was injured badly from the fight with Takuna back in the forest; I wasn't sure if Eriku and the others were searching for me; I missed my family, my friends, Lady Tsunade, everyone.

I felt my eyes become moist as I began to sniffle silently, with tears rolling down my cheeks and onto the pillow. I quietly prayed to in my mind that someone would come to my rescue, somebody, anybody.

I didn't even care if it was Deidara who had to save me again; I just wanted someone to get me out of this mess.

Thinking about him again made me remember one of the times when we were younger, about thirteen I believed.

_I was being bullied by Takuna and her group once again on one of the days I was staying with Deidara. She and her friends were beating me up in a field away from the village, so there would be no witnesses. Deidara was gone for a little bit, which gave Takuna the advantage to get me when I least expected it._

_Back then, I was defenseless and couldn't really protect myself against my enemy, especially when it was one against three. I was hurting a lot and once I was on the ground helpless and vulnerable, she pulled me up by yanking on my hair to face me and smirked at my dirty and damaged face._

"_Look at you now Kat. You're all beaten and filthy, can't even defend yourself. You certainly are worthless," she said as she spat on my face._

"_Leave me alone Takuna… What's your problem with me?!," I cried as I kicked her in the chest, causing her to release her grip on my hair and I fell on my butt._

_I had to do something to help myself out of the situation, but it turned out to make it worse than it already was._

_She got up ferociously and jumped right on top of me, punched my face hard once before I grabbed both her wrists as strong as I could to prevent any more hits from her. I struggled as much as I could, holding her off for as long as I could, before she hit me again._

"_Hey! What are you doing?! Hmm," a familiar voice shouted not too far from where we were._

_I tilted my head upward in my upside down view to see Deidara furiously glaring at Takuna, grinding his teeth together._

"_D-Deidara…," I struggled to say, coughing and feeling a little faint, but tried my best to stay awake and alert._

_He ran over to us and roughly shoved Takuna off of me, lifting the top half of my body to see what happened to me._

"_Katana, what happened here?! Hmm," he demanded of me with a distraught look on his face._

_I coughed harder and groaned before I responded to him._

"_I was... just out here sitting, m-minding my own business when… when T-Takuna and her gang… came over and started messing with me…," I coughed before I continued, "When I told them to leave me alone, they all c-came at me and j-jumped me… When Takuna was grabbing me by the hair, I kicked her to defend myself, but then she jumped on me and p-punched me in the face real hard…," I said, struggling with the enormous pain in my body._

_He was extremely mad when he registered all that information in his head and noticed the bruises and a small amount of blood I spat out of my mouth. He turned his attention to everyone else, especially Takuna, whom he was mostly angry with._

"_What the hell is wrong with you Takuna?! Why do you insist on messing with Kat?! She has done nothing to you! Hmm," he exclaimed with pure hatred in his visible eye. I never liked it when he was like that, it scared me and I wanted him to be happy._

_I carefully raised my arm left arm and grabbed his hand lightly, assuring him that I was fine. He looked at me with a sympathetic expression._

"_I'm okay, Deidara… Really, I'm fine," I told him softly, trying to hold back a cough._

_He gripped my hand tighter as he continued to look upset towards me._

"_No you're not. Have you seen yourself? You're all dirty and beaten up. Hmm," he told me trying to act calm and sighed, "We need to go back to my house and get you treated. Hmm."_

_So he slid both his arms under me carefully, scooped me up gently and held me bridle-style. He frowned when he heard me groaning in pain and planned on turning around and taking us back to his house, ignoring everyone that was there._

_But before he took off too far from the group, he paused and turned his head towards them, glowering at mainly Takuna who was feeling extremely guilty about what she did, but couldn't explain herself._

"_If any of you do this to her again, I will personally find each and every one of you and blow you all to bits with my artistic sculptures. Got it? Hmm," he warned them, proving as a great threat to the group that they shuddered and gulped._

_Takuna didn't react like the rest of them, looking emotionless as Deidara carried me to his house to take care of my wounds._

_When we arrived, he took me straight to his room, laid me down on his bed and went to grab the first aid kit. He removed my headband, cleaned all my injuries which stung like hell, then wrapped them up with fresh bandages, covering most of my body with the white strips. I was embarrassed that I looked like a mummy, which made him laugh but I thought it was funny too._

"_You should rest, after all, I'm not sure you can move on your own. Hmm," he informed me as he stood by my side._

"_Yeah I suppose so. But how am I gonna eat dinner?," I asked as my stomach made a loud growling noise that was heard throughout the entire room._

"_I'll bring it to you. I'm not gonna let you starve silly. Hmm," he laughed._

_I giggled at how embarrassed I was about my loud stomach._

"_Oh okay," I said as beamed at him._

_Suddenly, when I least expected it, he bent over and gently pressed his soft lips against my bare forehead. I was so surprised that my face was flushed with redness all over._

"_I'm glad you're doing better Kat. I got really scared when those kids were ruthlessly beating you up. I didn't want anything bad to happen to you. Hmm," he admitted as he grabbed my hand and firmly squeezed it, with sadness in his eyes._

"_Deidara," I said in my mind, amazed at how caring he was about me. I felt bad that he had to witness something as terrible as my fight with Takuna and her gang. I couldn't imagine what would happen if he saw me severely injured, or even worse. What if I was dead? I was sure that would have devastated him._

"_I'm sorry Deidara… I didn't mean to upset you… It's all my fault you got worried about me…," I started to choke back my tears as I sniffled._

_He looked at me with a sad smile._

"_It's not your fault. I'm sorry that you had to suffer with kids from my village trying hurting you. Hmm," he said feeling guilt in his heart._

"_No it's not. I think it would've been better if I never came to the Stone Village…," I said looking down at the blanket covering my lower half of my body._

_He quickly sat by my side on the bed and moved his face closer to mine, with only a few inched apart from each other's. He gave me a stern look and met his pale blue eye with mine. My heart raced a little from the distance he was from me. He kept his grip on my hand._

"_Don't say that. Don't ever say that again. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me and I don't care if anyone doesn't approve of our friendship. Who cares what they think! Hmm," he told me as he gently tightened his grip. He even clenched to the blanket as tightly as my hand._

_Astonishment overwhelmed me when he said those words so strongly and filled with meaning. My eyes widened and I was overall speechless. I didn't know how to respond to that._

_Unexpectedly, his visible eye was becoming moist and a single tear was about to roll down his cheek. That was the first time I had ever seen him shed a tear. I never recalled seeing him cry before, since he was always so tough, but that time was different. He was allowing his deep emotion of sadness take over._

_I gently placed my hand on his cheek and wiped the tear away from under his eye with my thumb._

"_It's okay Deidara. We'll make it through this together," I told him with a smile, assuring him everything would turn out better._

_His frown turned upside down into a sad smile and embraced me tightly._

"_Can you promise me something? Hmm," he asked me as his face was lying on my shoulder._

"_Yes?," I told him as I wrapped my arms around his back firmly._

"_Promise me you'll stay out of trouble and don't do stupid things when you're out on your own. I don't want to lose you. You're my closest and most special friend. Hmm," he asked me into my ear._

_Thinking about it, I tend to get myself into a lot of reckless situations. He knew that for a fact. But he wanted me to try and stay on the safe side, so that we could continue seeing each other forever. He really cared about me and I felt the same for him._

_So I sighed and prepared to reply._

"_I promise," I told him truthfully._

_He let go and looked at me, smiling pleasantly, without a hint of a smirk or grin. It was nice to see him that way. I smiled back and for some reason, we were suddenly getting closer to each other's faces, like as if a natural force was pushing us together. My heart was racing faster as our lips were only less than an inch away from each other's and we both had closed our eyes until one of his parents knocked on the door to let up know that dinner was ready. We stopped and pulled away shyly when we realized what we were about to do._

_It was so shocking to me that we were about to kiss. I couldn't stop blushing and my heart wouldn't stop beating rapidly. It was such a close call._

"_I'll get our food. You wait here okay? Hmm," he said as he was blushing light red on his cheeks._

_He got up, released his grip on my hand and went out of the room to get the food. I sighed and tried to calm down, although I couldn't get over what just happened. I touched my warm face and then glided my fingers on my lips, imagining what my first kiss would've been like. I never thought it was going to be with Deidara at first, but something in my heart told me he was definitely special. I loved him dearly as a close friend I believed, but I never actually thought it could go further between us and I figured it wasn't the right time to express our feelings to each other._

_My emotions were scrambled and I didn't know what to believe. But I passed it off as a false alarm and didn't think much of it for the rest of the night. He came back with our food and we enjoyed the rest of the evening like nothing had happened._

All this confusion I felt about him made me want to cry even harder, because I knew deep inside, I missed him dearly. I missed the old days when life wasn't so difficult and we weren't choosing the wrong decisions. I missed the old Deidara. The Deidara who promised to do all the right things to achieve our goals with me. The one who said he would always be there for me, no matter what. The one who always protected me from bad situations when in reach of me. The one who helped take care of me when I got sick or hurt myself on accident. The Deidara who wouldn't go as far as to commit such horrible crimes for his selfish gain. I desperately wanted things to go back the way it used to be.

But I realized it was never going to happen. He chose to deceive me and everyone else that was involved with him. He became the criminal I now knew him as, who was also part of the evil organization Akatsuki who were scheming to steal the jinchurikis from their hosts. I only knew that much and decided to keep it to myself.

He might have showed up at my doorstep, not pleading for forgiveness and was present for my birthday and gave me a memorable birthday gift, but certain things like that were not going to get him an instant golden ticket from me to that easily. Only time would tell, if I felt he meant what he said about missing me and all, then we would have to see. He had to truly prove it.

I cried a little more but tried to choke back my tears so I wouldn't disturb Kakuzu or Hidan. I couldn't get my mind off of Deidara now. It began to bother me as I continued to think back to our past. My heart was aching painfully as I placed my tied hands over it, gripping my chest gently.

"Will you shut the fuck up? All your crying is keeping me up…," Hidan muffled as he turned on his side.

I stopped weeping heavily and looked out the window, peering at the shining beautiful moon that brightened the night. It was nice to stare at, but he wouldn't leave my thoughts. My heart still hurt when I saw his face and thought of his name in my mind.

"Deidara…," I whispered quietly before I shut my eyes and tried to sleep.


	11. Chapter 10: Hopeful Rescue

*Chapter 10: Hopeful Rescue*

It was one of the worst sleepless nights of my life. One reason was because Hidan was unexpectedly talking in his sleep, mumbling strange words and tossed and turned his body so much that the floor made thump noises. Another reason was that Kakuzu snored so loudly that I was sure the guests in the other rooms were suffering as much as I was.

The main reason I had a restless slumber was that my mind was full of thoughts that prevented me from calming down and letting go. It was dreadful. I could feel the bags under my eyes and I yawned constantly throughout the entire morning.

We had spent the all morning walking not too far from the hotel so they could make it to the Akatsuki hideout faster. Kakuzu had bought me extra clothes to wear for the trip, which was a grey baggy sweater that fell off of one of my shoulders; black short shorts that were too short and I felt uncomfortable in, especially since I was in front of Hidan who was probably having a good view of my rear back there while Kakuzu was in front of me; and he had kept my black sandals but had to clean them and stitch up some minor tears.

I think he just grabbed anything and threw them together, forcing me to be satisfied with them. At least he was considerate about giving me some fresh clothes and not made me walk around partially naked. Hidan would've suggested it.

My hands were still tied together as we strolled through the woods, Kakuzu attached a tough string to it so he could pull me everywhere with them like a dog on a leash.

It had been about a few hours, maybe more, since we left and I was rather low on energy since I didn't rest very well. I struggled to keep myself wide awake while we moved and I tried to restrain myself from my constant yawning because I thought the men would quickly become irritated with it.

I frowned at the ground as I watched myself put one foot in front of the other at walking speed. My mind wandered elsewhere, thinking of how badly I wanted to get out of the position I was in and return to where I belonged: at home in the Leaf Village.

We all were awkwardly silent from the beginning of our trip, until Hidan started growling out of annoyance.

"Kakuzu, when the fuck are we gonna get there? I'm sick of traveling already and I'm gonna want to fucking eat something soon!," he complained from behind me.

Kakuzu sighed from frustration as he focused ahead of the road.

"Will you be patient? You do realize it's going to take us about a couple of days to get to the hideout," he reminded his irritated partner.

"That long?! That's fucking ridiculous! I wanna get the fuck there faster! The fucking sooner the better!," Hidan yelled at his comrade's back, glaring at the back of his head.

I wondered why he was so impatient and why these two argued about everything. I guessed that Hidan was the one who always started the fights between them, since he usually complained about a lot of things each time. He also seemed to do things he wasn't supposed to or that was unreasonable, which ticked off Kakuzu. I'm surprised they hadn't tried to tear each other apart yet.

My strength was gradually returning, but it wasn't up to where I could depend on myself to fight on my own. Being useless was a sucky feeling. How could I protect myself from danger if these guys didn't? How could I defend myself if they tried anything on me?

I was doomed from the moment I got caught in their trap a day ago.

"Like I said, Hidan. It'll take a while to arrive there. If you complain one more time, I will make the trip much longer," Kakuzu warned grimly without glancing back at him.

It gave me the chills when he said it in that tone. Hidan mumbled curse words underneath his breath and scanned our surroundings, whenever I glanced back at him.

I was in deep thought again, imagining what the leader of Akatsuki's appearance was. I wondered about his features, his motives and what kind of power he had. Surely he must be the strongest of the organization. Perhaps, he was also merciful and might spare my life if he learned of my relation with Deidara. Or maybe he wouldn't care and would rather choose to annihilate me on the spot, with or without Deidara witnessing.

I was afraid that he might assume that I was a spy that was going to give away their secrets if he let me live, but I knew for a fact that I have no idea what they do or what their true motives are. The only knowledge I had about them was that I recognized two of however many members there were and that they were highly dangerous criminals. Another action I knew of was when Itachi and his partner tried to kidnap Naruto years ago, because they wanted the Nine Tailed Fox inside of him.

I didn't know what they were planning to do if they captured all the jinchurikis, but it obviously didn't sound pleasant. Many battles and wars broke out because the countries wanted control of the Tailed Beasts for military purposes and from what I heard, they were catastrophic. Nothing but great destruction in everyone's path and many casualties left behind in the battlefield. I hoped I would never have to participate in a war, ever.

Focusing back on the thought of the Leader I was about to meet, my skin began to crawl and goose bumps visibly appeared on the surface of my flesh. However, I shook it off and breathed deeply to help relax myself before I lost it. It was working for a good while.

Without warning, Kakuzu stopped and stood still, which made me accidentally bump into him and Hidan followed. I was squished like a sandwich between the two until I shoved Hidan off of me and back up from Kakuzu, glaring up at him.

"Hey! Why did you stop? You could've warned us," I said angrily towards him.

He remained still and silent, rolling his eyes down at me and glaring back, only his stare was creepier than I imagined.

"Shut up. I heard something," he told me in his usual eerie tone.

I obeyed and looked around, checking for any intruders or rogue ninja that were probably lurking in the shadows of the forest. I couldn't find anything nor did I hear any strange movements.

I peered up at the tall masked man quizzically.

"I don't see anything," I whispered to him.

"Yeah what the fuck are you talking about old man?! I don't see shit," Hidan said with his loud mouth.

Of course, he had to be the one to give away our position if the enemy was around in hiding.

"Hidan! What the hell did I tell you about your big loud-!," Kakuzu paused when we saw three kunai knives with paper bombs attached to them heading towards our direction.

Alarmed, we leaped back separate from one another, with Kakuzu and I on one side ‒since I was still attached to the rope I was tied to‒ and Hidan on the opposite of us. The bombs exploded once we already backed away safely.

Now on alert, we scanned the area for the perpetrators who targeted us.

"Show yourself you mother fucker!," Hidan demanded with a sneer.

Suddenly, I heard bushes rustling wildly from a short distance from us and although I was tied up, I stood in a defensive stance. I could manage to kick my opponent with my free legs and with the little energy I had in store if I had to fight.

Then three figures jumped out and landed side by side. They were definitely familiar once they were in view. They had the same Sand Village uniform and were Sand shinobi. When I saw their faces, my eyes lit up with delight and I finally recognized them, beaming towards them.

"Eriku! Seko! Otobo! You guys found me!," I shouted happily. Thank god they came to my rescue. You had no idea how grateful I was to see their friendly faces again.

The Akatsuki men both looked at me skeptically after I announced their names proudly, and then glanced back at the three.

"You guys better let Katana go if you know what's good for ya!," Seko shouted at the two men as he pointed his finger at both of them.

Hidan laughed a little before smirking towards the Sand Group.

"Am I supposed to be fucking threatened? You could do fucking better than that shit," he told them as he glanced at his scythe that was hanging on his back.

"So you're the men that took her away," Eriku assumed correctly as he maintained a serious expression.

"Actually this young lady got caught into our trap we set in the woods, so we decided to take her with us," Kakuzu confirmed deeply.

Eriku observed me carefully from afar, noticing I had a change in my outfit and frowned.

"What happened to your clothes Kat?," Eriku asked me.

I glanced at my outfit before peering at him to answer.

"My other clothes got ruined when I flew and got dragged through the forest, so this guy threw them out and gave me these instead," I sighed disappointingly.

When he checked me out more, he could see how short my shorts were, as they revealed more of my thighs and the shape of my butt. I could tell his cheeks were slightly bright red and he tried to turn his attention to the men who held me hostage.

"Anyways, you two gentlemen better hand her over to us," Eriku suggested to them.

Hidan snorted more, thinking this was all too funny to him that he grasped his stomach from the pressure of laughing too hard.

"Seriously kid! You're fucking hilarious!," he chuckled, causing annoyed tension between everyone.

"Is he really this crazy, Mr. Kakuzu?," I asked him formally as I arched an eyebrow towards him.

Kakuzu was surprised I even addressed him as mister and sighed of disappointment.

"Unfortunately yes," he answered lowly.

"I heard that!," Hidan growled at us with a glare.

Eriku looked angry with the way they were treating him and his group like a joke. He gritted his teeth together and clenched his hands into fists.

"Enough! I'm going to ask you politely one more time to hand over Kat immediately," he spat furiously, trying to control his sudden temper.

I never knew he could easily snap like that. Of course, I never really got the chance to know him better either, since I got knocked out of range during our mission and got taken away. He mainly seemed like the steady and patient type of person, who also had kindness as one of his main personalities. I guessed when it came down to serious businesses, he had to concentrate and not take things too lightly. Who knew what else he was capable of?

"Oh really? And what if we don't fucking feel like handing this little bitch over?," Hidan chuckled in a challenging tone.

Kakuzu knew he was asking for trouble the moment he said that and pinched the bridge of his nose, although I knew he wasn't willing to let me go either.

Eriku then gave a small smirk and swiftly pulled out a kunai to hold in front of him.

"Then I guess we'll have to take her by force. Seko! Otobo!," he proclaimed as the other two Sand ninjas copied and prepared for battle against the two Akatsuki members.

When I glanced at both of the men who stood opposite sides of me, I noticed Hidan was looking somewhat excited about fighting them, while Kakuzu stood emotionless but was in defensive mode as he held on to the rope.

"Isn't he gonna fight too?," I thought in my mind questionably.

"Hell yeah! This should be fucking fun! It's been a fucking while since I had a good fight. I look forward to using you three as sacrifices to Lord Jashin," Hidan grinned as he pulled out his big red scythe from his back and held it to the side, ready to fight Eriku and his team.

"There he goes with the sacrifice threats again…," I thought sighing again.

"Young lady," Kakuzu called me to get my attention, which I peered up at his face and waited for him to continue, "You will stay by my side during the battle. Besides, I still have you tied with me so you can't escape."

I opened my mouth about to protest, but then I decided to not say anything and nod, turning back to see Eriku and the others.

I wondered how they actually knew where I was going and how they found me sooner. Were they very skilled trackers? Did I leave a piece of evidence somewhere? I was uncertain of how they managed to locate me so quickly, but I would have to ask them later. I was just glad they were here. Now we had to fight our way out of this.

"Let's go!," Eriku yelled as he began to charge towards Hidan with Otobo following for the attack.

Meanwhile, Seko charged toward us and was targeting Kakuzu. He brought out one leg and attempted to kick him, but Kakuzu blocked with his arm and pushed the Sand ninja away. Seko then landed a short distance from us and performed a few hand signs.

"Earth Style: Mud Slide!," he said before the ground shook.

Suddenly, a giant spike popped out of the ground and towards Kakuzu's direction, which he dodged immediately, pulling me with him. Another one rose out of the dirt ground behind him and from the sides, but he swiftly evaded each one and we were then in the air. I was flying and being jerked around like a rag doll.

Seko then took the advantage to pull out a shuriken and tossed it in our direction. Both Kakuzu and I planned to avoid it by moving apart from each other, but I realized that I was still attached to the rope, until the flying weapon cut through the tough string. I was finally free but my hands were still tangled together as I found myself land in Seko's arms.

"Gotcha! Are you okay Miss Katana?," he asked me apprehensively.

I was impressed with his skills. I nodded and gave a small smile.

"Good! Now we need to get going and wait for the others," he said as he looked up.

His eyes grew wide alarmingly and he quickly leaped back, holding me tightly against him. That's when I heard a loud crash come from in front of us. When I turned to check, a huge crumbled boulder was in place of where we last were.

I was stunned that something that huge was aiming for us. But I knew it couldn't have moved by itself, which would've been supernatural. Kakuzu landed on the opposite side of us right after we moved to a safe distance.

"Return the girl to me," he commanded coldly.

Seko tightened his grip on me as he carried my body bridle-style. He looked determined to protect me from the tall Akatsuki member.

"I'm afraid I can't do that! She belongs with us," he denied Kakuzu's demand, grinding his teeth.

Without another word, Kakuzu charged at us and threw a punch, which Seko managed to dodge by jumping back and the Akatsuki member struck the ground, smashing it into a crater shaped hole and pieces of dirt flew.

Seko landed on his feet again and we both felt the ground move a little from the impact. He was close to losing his balance but he controlled his weight on the ground. Kakuzu came at us again, which meant that we had to think quick about what our next move was.

"Forgive me Miss Katana," he said regretfully as he glanced down at me.

Unexpectedly, he tossed me real high into the air, causing me to yelp as I flew upward and above the forest.

"What motive did he have for that?!," I cried angrily as I was flowing back down.

Furious with Seko's poor decision to throw me into midair and not briefly state why he did it, I focused my chakra and used my strength to try to pull my arms apart from the rope and successfully broke free. I landed in one of the trees and hid from view. I was going to kick Seko's butt later for pulling that bad move.

I tried to maintain my chakra at a low level so I could hide from everyone. Fortunately, since I already didn't have a lot to begin with, I was able to keep myself from being noticed.

I cautiously peeked from the side of the tree and watch from afar the battle between Seko and Kakuzu.

There were many close calls between the two shinobi, but it seemed like the Akatsuki member was restraining himself from giving his all. It was like he was trying to avoid using his most skillful techniques, allowing Seko to take advantage of the fight.

It was strange for a criminal like him to be holding off and not show his true power to end the fight faster. I continued to focus on their as they were moving farther away from where I was hidden.

"Found you my little bitch," a familiar cool voice softly said in my ear.

My body automatically tensed up once I realized who it was. I froze as Hidan wrapped his arm around my neck area and held me tight to prevent me from escaping. I looked up at him as he grinned at me, placing my hands on his arm as he was practically choking me a bit. I groaned every time he squeezed tighter.

I peered down at the ground to find Eriku and Otobo arrive by the tree and peer up at us.

"Let her go! This fight is between us and you," Eriku told Hidan, glowering at the sight of him strangling me.

Hidan only chuckled and grinned.

"I don't see why the fuck I should. I've grown fond of this feisty bitch. I think I'll just fucking keep her and kill you two," he proposed as he turned his head to look at me and licked my ear with his wet tongue. I whined as I felt it wiggle around there before he went lower to lick my neck, which made my body shiver and whimper more.

I saw the rage in Eriku's eyes as Hidan teased me in this manner. I could see him gritting his teeth from where I stood and it appeared he had enough.

I had enough of this myself. I was sick of being stuck in such terrible situations and it was usually because I can't take care of myself very well. I was surprised I hadn't died yet from a freak accident of something.

I had to do something so that Hidan could release his grip and I could run freely from his clutch. In deep thought as he held me tighter while concentrating on my Sand comrades, the imaginary light bulb lit up above my noggin and I had to act fast.

I opened my mouth and bit into Hidan's arm, piercing through his skin and drawing blood as I clamped on hard. He let out a loud groan as he barely removed his arm from my neck, which gave me an opening, so I elbowed his stomach as rough as I could and watched his fall back and hit the neighboring tree. I leapt down to the ground and saw him land on his rear, cursing and groaning from the pain I distributed to him.

He glared at me and gritted his teeth together as he carefully rose up and stood, grasping his bleeding arm.

"Why you little mother fucker…!," he shouted towards me.

"Kat, are you alright?," Eriku anxiously asked me as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded and fixed my view on Hidan, who wasn't too happy with what I did to him.

"You fucking brats are going to pay with your lives!," he cried as he whipped out his scythe and charged at us furiously.

Eriku shoved me aside and he and Otobo went for Hidan, pulling out their kunai and deflecting his attacks. I observed in awe at the battle from a safe distance. It was amazing how Hidan could take on two guys at once, with no hesitation on both sides. He swung his scythe around, nearly slicing Eriku and Otobo when he had the opportunity. Luckily, the two Sand comrades were able to evade the swings and try to attack from different angles.

I wished I was with them helping, but I was growing weaker the more I used my chakra for my super strength. If that wasn't bad enough, the stitched up wound on my side was stinging again and when I lightly touched it, I felt a small amount of blood leaking through. It must've slightly reopened when I was shook around in the air with Kakuzu.

I would've used my healing jutsu to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't a severe wound in my opinion, so I was fine as long as I didn't make any more huge movements with my body.

Suddenly, I witnessed Hidan striking Otobo with his foot, kicking him across the area and causing him to drag against the dirt ground.

"Otobo!," I called apprehensively as he slowed down and laid on the ground face down, struggling to get up.

Then Eriku kicked and got rid of the scythe out of Hidan's hand while he was distracted with his attack on Otobo. The scythe landed far from where we were, which made the Akatsuki member even more enraged.

"That fucking does it!," he yelled as he turned and struck Eriku with a punch in the stomach that launched him across the field and onto a tree behind him.

He yelped from the impact of his back and the tree and fell on his side, groaning from the excruciating pain. He coughed violently and blood came out of his mouth. He spat some out and grasped his stomach as he breathed heavily.

"Oh no, Eriku!," I cried fearfully.

I didn't think a simple punch like that would cause that much damage to my friend. Abruptly, Hidan sprinted up and jabbed him brutally against the tree with his knee to Eriku's stomach area. I was petrified to see blood exit past his lips as he exhaled out all the air from his body. He was suffering internally and I couldn't bear to witness it.

"Stop it! Don't hurt him!," I cried as I felt tears begin to form on the corners of my eyes.

Crying was a sign of weakness and I never would've started weeping if I knew it would really affect me, but there were times I couldn't fight it back. Seeing the person I was associated with dying right in front of me was something hard to ignore, even though things like that were often in the ninja world.

Hidan backed off and jumped backward to stare and smirk at the agonizing Eriku, who stood and lied against the tree, coughing out blood that rolled down his chin and breathing irregularly.

"Look at you, you're a fucking mess! Did you actually think you could fucking defeat me?," Hidan laughed sadistically, "You're lucky I hadn't prepared my ritual for your sacrifice, but since you look like complete shit, I will do the honor of putting you out of your fucking misery."

My heart skipped a beat once he whipped out a black retractable spear from his cloak and extended it to its longest length. Then after licking his lips, he stomped on the ground and dashed towards the defenseless Eriku.

"Say your fucking prayers!," Hidan shouted as he hurried across the field.

I had to act fast and do what was right for this situation. I broke out of my immobilized state and raced to get to Eriku before the Akatsuki member did. Once I reached him, I stood steadily in front of him and used my body as a shield. I was prepared to make another sacrifice for him. Only this time, I was sure it would kill me.

Surprisingly, Hidan hesitated a bit when he noticed me standing there, but he shook his head and continued forward. He wasn't going to stop because I was there. He was going to penetrate me with his weapon, whether I was or wasn't in his interest category. He planned to kill me on the spot along with Eriku.

"Hidan!," Kakuzu called, hoping he had enough sense to stop.

I closed my eyes shut and awaited for the pain to occur. But when I felt it, it only penetrated through my right shoulder. When I slowly opened my eyes, Otobo was standing before me, with the spear also lodged into the right side of his body.

I was shocked to see him in that position, acting as a shield for me. I thought he greatly hated me from earlier when we had our verbal fight at the campsite. I thought he would've left me to die because I was a Leaf ninja.

"Otobo… B-But why? After what we went through, I thought you despised Leaf Village shinobi like me…,"I said as I groaned from the stinging in my shoulder.

He was also agonizing as Hidan kept the spear through our bodies, but after he spat out some blood, he chuckled silently, which made me wonder what was funny.

"You saved my friend back there… when we fought those Stone ninjas, I saw from a good distance. You threw yourself in front of the jutsu's path after you pushed Eriku to the side. I thought that was brave of you to do for someone who you barely knew…," he told me.

I was quiet since I was flabbergasted by what he was telling me.

"You proved to me with that one act of selflessness, that not all Leaf ninja are bad after all…," he added as he turned his head around to face me and gave a small smile.

Astonished by his sudden change in heart, my eyes grew wide and my mouth hung open slightly. I never thought one simple action I took just to protect my comrades would cause him to change his perspective on my village's people. I imagined it would've taken a lot longer to show a guy like him who appeared to have a heart as cold as ice that my people were not just cruel and selfish beings.

But I was thankful in a way that we set our differences aside, at least for now I thought.

Hidan began laughing hysterically at us as he held the spear in his hand and shoved deeper. Otobo and I moaned in pain.

"You people are fucking hilarious! The bullshit that comes out of your mouth cracks me the fuck up!," He said smirking as he shoved the weapon deeper into us, increasing the sting. I began crying and whining in torment.

"Enough Hidan," Kakuzu said grimly.

Hidan glanced at his emotionless partner, arching an eyebrow.

"Huh? Ah c'mon Kakuzu! I was just having a good fucking time torturing these guys,", Hidan complained.

"We need to retreat immediately, otherwise Leader will become infuriated with our delay. So leave these shinobi alone and let's go, before I tear you apart," Kakuzu threatened eerily glowering at his young partner.

Hidan reluctantly obeyed his comrade, ruthlessly pulled out his spear and licked the tip of the weapon, showing a sense of delight from the taste of our blood.

"Mmm. Fucking tasty," he commented as he licked his lips, retracted his weapon and put it away in his cloak.

He glanced at me and grinned widely as Otobo and I fell on our knees, grinding my teeth as I put pressure on my wounds to stop the bleeding with my hand.

"Sorry babe, but you got in the fucking way so I had to get you as well," he said with a wink.

I held my bleeding shoulder and glared up at him.

"I'm not your babe you sick sadistic bastard…," I growled as I groaned from the aching pain.

I got a deep and creepy chuckle from him.

"We'll be seeing you soon, Katana," Kakuzu finally said before disappearing swiftly, with Hidan snatching his scythe from the ground and following from behind, arguing to let him catch up.

Now that I thought about it, why didn't Seko return when Kakuzu did? Was he dead? No he couldn't be.

"W-What happened to S-Seko," Eriku questioned as he coughed heavily and slid against the tree, landing on his rear and sat while gripping his stomach.

All of a sudden, I heard a faint scratching noise from where the ground began to crumble in one spot near us, which alarmed me so I pulled out a kunai with my free hand for protection.

The sound got louder as it seemed like something was digging its way up to the surface of the ground. That's when I saw a head pop out from the powdered area, with pieces of rock and dirt flying in different directions. Then the person climbed out of the earthy floor all the way and brushed the dirt off his clothes.

"Seko!," I called excitedly with a glad smile on my face.

"Sorry I took long, I had to make an escape route from that big creepy guy. He was a tough opponent," his smile dropped when he notice the three of us harshly injured and near unconsciousness.

He rushed by my side and observed all three of us, with a troubled look in his eyes. I was amazed when I noted how Seko didn't look as if he had any injuries, just several dirt marks and a few scratches. But it was good that he wasn't in the same boat as the rest of us. I didn't want all of us to be suffering.

"Miss Katana, did that silver haired other guy do this to you all?," he questioned in a concerning tone, with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Yes, but he inflicted more damage on Eriku and Otobo," I answered staring at both said guys.

Seko scowled as he glanced at his comrades and then back at me. I needed to treat both their wounds hastily, mainly halt the bleeding, otherwise Otobo would die of blood loss and Eriku would bleed out internally and eventually share the same fate. So I crawled up to the groaning Otobo first, gently moved his covering hand to the side and raised my hands over the small bloody hole. I focused my chakra and my hands glowed light green as I was performing the healing jutsu.

Seko looked astounded as he observed me treating his friend. He must've not known that I was a medical ninja. My shoulder stung and I could feel little blood roll down my arm, but I disregarded it as I continued to help Otobo.

"Seko," I called to get his attention, which worked, "Can you reach into my bag behind me and pull out some bandages and wrap my shoulder while I heal Otobo?"

He nodded, looked behind me and I could tell spotted the beige bag that was attached to the back of my shorts. Kakuzu allowed me to pack my gear before we left the hotel, just in case he required me to combat with them.

I felt his dig through my bag, searching for the bandages, then once he found them, he pulled it out and put it aside. He dug through the bag again and pulled out as small white towel and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. He placed the bottle under the bundled cloth, tipped it upside down so that the clear liquid poured and sunk into the towel, and then he closed the bottle and put it away in my bag. The scent of alcohol was so strong and irritating to my sense of smell that my nose felt congested.

I never asked him to clean the wound, but I guessed it was the wisest thing to do. He must've wanted to take care of my injury better.

"I'm sorry if it hurts Miss Katana," he apologized as he gently placed the rag against my stab wound, causing a huge stinging sensation to flow through my entire shoulder.

I gritted my teeth and groaned loudly from the unbearable pain, but I tried to overlook it and kept my focus on finishing up with healing process for Otobo. I bit my bottom lip hard enough to calm myself down that I drew blood. I frantically wanted to cry my eyes out from the harsh burn I had to endure, but I had to be tough. I didn't need to show them that I acted like a big baby, even though I was sort of one.

He wiped the blood off my flesh, lightly tossed the towel aside, I still felt the bubbly tingle on my wound and then he grabbed the bandages, pulling a long strip and placing the tip over the disinfected hole. From there, he wrapped my entire shoulder and when he was done, he put it up in my bag and zipped it up.

"Okay, I'm finished with him," I said as I removed my hands from above Otobo's body.

Then I turned my attention to Eriku who I noticed was losing consciousness fast. I quickly crawled up to him, placed my hands over his stomach, concentrated and then my hands lit up again.

Seko laid Otobo down flat on the ground for comfort, from what I saw from the corner of my eye. This fight could have been much more brutal if the Akatsuki had persistently attacked us mercilessly. I was fully aware that they had incredibly unnatural powers and if they had unleashed them on us, it would've been our last fight.

I didn't want to find out what kind of rituals Hidan could perform and I most certainly didn't want to see what Kakuzu could do. I was relieved that they retreated and spared our lives, for now. I was thankful we survived.

After I finished healing Eriku as much as I could, I tried to stand up, but stumbled and fell on my knees again, breathing a bit heavy. I became weaker after I used my energy to heal the two and from my deprived sleep that I felt like I could pass out at any moment . I clawed into the dirt and attempted to sustain myself.

"Miss Katana? What's wrong?," Seko asked troubled with my unexpected fall.

I peered up at him as I struggled to breathe regularly.

"I managed to stop the bleeding in both Eriku and Otobo's bodies, but we have to take them to a hospital as soon as possible… Also, I'm so light-headed and fragile from the last battle…," I informed him as I looked down at the ground, beginning to lose my vision.

Seko ran up to me and held me up to prevent me from losing my balance.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this. But don't worry, we'll find a way to bring all of us back to the Leaf Village," he told me with a little confidence in his voice.

He furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled at how he was going to carry the three immobile members to the village all at once. He had to have figured it would've been impossible, after all it was a lot of weight to transfer. Even I wasn't sure how we could solve this problem.

"You guys need some assistance?," a familiar young male voice said to us.

When I tilted my head up to check, my eyes lit up as Team Asuma stood ahead of us, with encouraging smirks on their faces.

"Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Mr. Asuma!," I said enthusiastically.

Asuma Sarutobi, Shikamaru's team leader and teacher, chuckled amusingly.

"Please, you can just address as Asuma," he suggested as he rubbed the back of his head.

"What happened here?," Shikamaru asked curiously, taking a glimpse of every one of us with a concerned expression.

"It's a long story…," I sighed.

"Well, it's a good thing Lady Tsunade sent us to check up on you four. She was worried after you guys came back shortly from the mission to inform her that Kat was M.I.A.," Asuma informed us in a serious yet relaxing tone.

"Lady Tsunade was worried about me?," I asked myself in my mind.

In a weird way, happiness filled my heart when I heard that my master was concerned about my well-being, but at the same time, I felt like she was babying me in a strange way by sending another team to check on us. I wasn't sure how to explain what I felt, but I was glad she did send these guys to help us. There was no way Seko and I could grab hold of Eriku and Otobo and return to my village, especially in my condition.

My legs started to shake and grew weak in an instant. I fell down on the ground and tried to push myself up so I could sit, but my arms even became insubstantial. My head was spinning uncontrollably and my body was limp, lying on the cool dirt field.

"Kat!," Shikamaru shouted distraughtly as he hurried over to me and lifted my head carefully.

My perfect vision was slightly fading as exhaustion was overwhelming my entire body. I could hardly see his fretful face as he peered down at me.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru, but I broke my promise to be more careful…," I laughed quietly and gave a small smirk.

He gazed down and a small sad smile appeared across his mouth.

"Don't worry about it," he softly said as he scooped me up gradually and carried me bridle-style. I nestled my head against his flak jacket covered chest, feeling a sense of comfort. I rested my eyes while I heard the others lifting Eriku and Otobo from the ground.

"You can take a nap if you want," Shikamaru offered.

"Already on it…," I quietly said as I smiled and quickly fell asleep in his firm arms.


	12. Chapter 11: Home Sweet Hospital

***Note: I got this done the same day as Chap 10! Although I felt i really rushed this chapter, since there wasn't much, but I hope you enjoy and give some good reviews! About to work on Chap 12 real soon!* :)**

*Chapter 11: Home Sweet Hospital*

I awakened from one of the best naps I've ever took in a while. After the troubling past couple of days weighed me down badly, I thought of it as a real sense of bliss.

But when I rubbed my eyes and scanned my surroundings, I was surprisingly cool with the fact that I was in a hospital room, again. I was back home in the Hidden Leaf.

"I'm here again, oh brother…," I sighed of disappointment as I cupped my cheek into my hand and gazed at myself.

Once again, I was wrapped into a bunch of bandages, all around the top half of my body; I noticed they sewed in new stitches for the gash on my side and my forehead had a warm and damp folded towel laid on top.

After I removed it, I heard the door knocking a few times. I yelled to let them in and waited for someone to enter. Hana slammed the door open and stormed inside to wrap her arms around me and hugged me securely, suffocating me in the process.

"Oh Kat! I can't believe you ended up in the hospital again! I was worried sick when I found out!," she wailed as hugged tighter, causing the pain in my body to slightly return.

"Hana, will you please let go and stop smothering me already," I said annoyed as I placed my hand on her face and shoved her off of me.

I then noticed Seko standing next to the bed, who arched an eyebrow as he watched me push my friend away.

"Seko," I only said as I gazed at the Sand ninja.

"Hey, I'm glad you're doing well, Miss Katana," he responded with a smile.

"Thanks," I said as I gave a small smile.

It was weird for him to be here with me and not with Eriku or Otobo. Speaking of those two, I had almost forgotten they were in a serious condition, which made me wonder if they were alright.

"Eriku and Otobo. How are they doing?," I asked him, curious to know if he had any idea about their health status.

His plain face turned into a sad smile.

"They're actually doing better. Eriku had internal damage and Otobo had been stabbed close to his left lung by an inch, but luckily, they were able to take care of those issues since part of it was already healed. The nurses said they could've died if no one had treated their injuries soon enough, but thanks to you, they managed to survive," he explained as he peered out the opened window.

"That's wonderful news," I complimented pleasingly.

"Miss Katana, why didn't you tell us you were a medical ninja?," he asked eagerly.

I could've sworn at our introduction the other night at the campfire, I had told everyone that I was a medical ninja, along with other information about myself. He must've not paid attention when I spoke, except for when I made a remark that if they fooled with me that I would punch their faces. No wonder he was surprised when he watched me heal his comrades.

"Seko, I did tell you three. You probably weren't really listening to me," I told him giggling at the same time.

He looked surprised and shamefaced as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, well, sorry Miss Katana. I tend to drift off during things like that," he laughed awkwardly.

Hana looked amazed for some reason as she gazed at Seko, then glanced at me with a big smile.

"Aw, what a gentleman! It's cute how he addresses you as Miss Katana," she said giggling.

I guess it was kind of cute that he did call me miss, but it felt weird being addressed by that name, since I was the same age as him. I mean, I don't call him Mr. Seko unless he was much older. But if he continuously called me that, then I needed to get used to it.

Another set of knocks were sounded on the door, then I heard clanking footsteps coming closer to us. Tsunade and Shizune entered the room. I straightened up and watched as they arrived. Hana and Seko looked up at the two women as they approached at the end of the bed.

"Hello Katana. Glad to see you're recovering very well," Tsunade commented, nodding her head in greeting towards Hana and Seko.

"Glad to see this familiar place," I said sarcastically.

"You shouldn't be! It only took a few days since the last time for you to be transported to the hospital again! You're always running into danger," Hana argued.

"Did you not hear the sarcasm in my voice? Also, I don't run into danger, danger runs into me," I said narrowing my eyes at her.

Hana rolled her eyes and turned to look at Tsunade chuckling.

"Alright you two, no need to be bickering. Hana, Seko, Shizune, I would like some time alone with Kat, if you please," Tsunade requested, nodding her head towards Shizune to leave the room.

Hana and Seko agreed and followed out of the room, closing the door behind him. Tsunade and I were the only people in the room as she sat right next to me on the bed, being careful not to sit on my leg.

She gave me a stern look into my eyes with her light brown ones. I sat there pondering what she wanted to talk to me about. Who knew what she had in mind.

"Kat, Seko had informed me of the two previous battles you underwent and how you went missing during the mission. Can you tell me from your perspective of what really happened?," she asked of me.

She wanted to be knowledgeable of the events that occurred, of the mess I got myself into trying to do an important assignment that we didn't even get far on. I felt like a failure when I realized we never completely our task. I inhaled a lot of breath, then exhaled, preparing myself to explain the story.

I could her everything I personally could. About the fight with Otobo the first night; how the next morning we were ambushed by Takuna and her Stone ninja comrades; how I got blown away from the group protecting Eriku from Takuna's jutsu; how got some of these injuries from the trees I flew into; how I got caught in a trap that was set up by the Akatsuki's members, Hidan and Kakuzu; how they held me hostage yet treated my previous wounds; how Hidan was being perverted with me and how Kakuzu was protective of me; how they were planning to take me back to the Akatsuki hideout until Eriku and the other ambushed them; how they fought against them and how Hidan nearly killed Otobo and I when we jumped to save Eriku; how they retreated and left us, with Seko returning to us safely ‒I assumed he acted cowardly and hid from Kakuzu after all, who wouldn't?‒; how I healed the two but became weak because I was low on energy; and how Team Asuma showed up and took us back home.

She was astonished by all the information I gave her.

"That's peculiar. Why is it that the Akatsuki didn't even kill you automatically once you got stuck in their trap?," she wondered inquisitively.

"I don't know, honestly," I lied as I shrugged my shoulders, remembering that one of them was injured by the soreness I felt.

I didn't want Tsunade to have knowledge of my involvement with Deidara. He was part of the organization and had a delinquent record. Being "associated" with a guy who was on one of the most wanted lists for disgracing his village would not be wise to tell others, especially to the Hokage. If she had learned of this, she could either easily punish me by locking me up in prison or maybe use me as a spy to infiltrate their hideout.

I had no intention of betraying anyone, even Deidara.

"I see. Well, I'm just thankful that nothing extreme happened to you," she said as she placed her hand on my hand.

It was rare she showed how soft and caring she could be. She usually liked to act tough around most people, but with me, it was different. Maybe it was since I was one of her disciples, she grown to care about me as she trained me to be who I am now, like a mother with a baby or a person with a puppy. The bond between us was strangely unique.

"Yeah…," I said in an undertone, peering down at my free hand.

"Well, I should let you relax for a while. You've been through a lot kid. You should be released by tonight. See you later," she said as she rose and headed for the door.

"Wait," I stopped her from leaving the room.

She held the doorknob by the time I told her to wait.

"What is it?," she asked.

"What are we gonna do about the mission?," I said questionably.

Because of the unfortunate incidents we endured, I wasn't sure if we were able to continue the mission to the Sand Village. I wanted to see what she was planning to do then if we were all wounded and incapable of undertaking anything.

"I will have to discontinue the mission and inform the Kazekage at once. He will most likely assign another team for the job, since three out of you four are at rest," she said as she opened the door and left, closing it behind her.

I predicted that statement. This wasn't turning out too well for me. I sighed of disappointment from the concept of accidentally situating myself into dangerous positions, like Hana said. I under no circumstances meant to endanger anybody with my dilemmas from the past. Takuna was obviously asking for trouble when she presented herself during our assignment, but in place of her being propelled out of sight, I was flung across the forest and got seized into the Akatsuki's trap.

She would eventually feel my wrath someday, she'll just have to wait and see. I still never smacked Seko for flinging me into the air and made me fend for myself. That was very rude of him to do, even as he apologized to me first. But the thrashing would have to wait. I needed to rest for now.

I had forgotten to ask Tsunade to see if I could visit Eriku and Otobo in their room while I was still here at the hospital. Maybe I could humbly walk over to one of the nurses and find out which room they were in later. I checked the time so I could calculate how long it would be until I could be released from the room. It read five forty-seven p.m.

"Wow, I must have slept for hours, but it was worth it," I said in my mind as I stretched my arms out and laid back down for a brief moment.

* * *

The nurse told me I was ready to go back home at seven p.m. I asked if I could visit Eriku and Otobo before I departed from the building, but she told me visiting hours were over and they needed some time to rest without disturbances, just until they were in better condition.

Dissatisfied, I packed up all of my belongings I traveled with me, reluctantly signed the release papers and headed for the front entrance. On my way out, Seko was strolling by, which caught my attention enough to stop and watch him get closer to me.

He looked up, halted and made eye contact with me when he saw my feet.

"Oh hello Miss Katana. Are you leaving already?," he questioned as he darted my bags.

"Yup. I just signed the papers," I replied.

"Oh okay. I hope you get home safely. After all, you are the one who went through a lot of crazy things on our way to the Hidden Sand," he said smiling scratching the side of his face.

I returned one back in his direction, although it was a bit fake. Everyone had been saying I had it bad, when in reality Eriku and Otobo had it worse than me. I only received mere flesh wounds while Eriku got pounded by Hidan who crushed his internal organs and triggered him to bleed inside his body and cough it out; then Otobo had the spear penetrated through his side, nearly puncturing his lung by almost an inch and bled out. I used the little chakra I had to halt the leakage before massive blood loss would've been their cause of death.

"Thanks Seko. By the way, I wanted to ask you something that I hadn't gotten a chance to say," I told him.

He looked interested and waited patiently for my question.

"Ask away Miss Katana," he said making hand gestures.

"How did you guys find me earlier today? Whenever those guys were trying to take me away," I queried.

He was silent for about a minute before he closed his eyes and smirked.

"Otobo is a talented tracker. He's the sensor type who can detect people by their chakra. He was able to find you because your chakra flow was uniquely patterned for him to recognize. After you went missing, Eriku wanted us to go searching for you once we reported back to the Hokage about your status and Otobo unexpectedly was willing to help. You really did change his thoughts Miss Katana, thank you."

It was stunning to believe that Otobo was a sensor type ninja. If he located me because he sensed my chakra, I speculated on what its appearance was. I didn't think it had a specific shape or pattern. That sounded awesome!

"I did my best," I said smirking.

I beckoned him to approach me closer, which he obediently took a few steps forward, glanced side to side and bent down a little for me to say something in his ear. That's when I planted my lips against his right cheek, which made his cheeks flush with redness and warmth.

"That's for saving me," I said as I beamed at him, surprised that I gave him a peck on the cheek.

Then while he was left in bewilderment, I slapped his other cheek, which made him turn his head in the direction I pressed it. That made him even more puzzled as his eyes grew wide and he cupped his hand on the smacked area.

"And that's for tossing me in the air without warning. Have a good night," I concluded as I grinned mischievously and strolled past him, leaving him baffled and probably embarrassed.

I found it amusing as I giggled softly to the thought of it replaying in my head. I was happy I was on my way back to my apartment, where I truly belonged.

* * *

When I arrived at my place, I was suddenly filled with pure joy that I made it home after withstanding such terrible and risky dealings with Takuna and the Akatsuki members.

I sprinted to my bedroom and hopped onto the bed face down, flipping onto my back and pretending to make a snow angel with my bed sheets. I was that thrilled about being home in my comfy apartment, on my comfy bed and enjoyed the comfy sense of peace I got when I laid there, peering up at my blank ceiling.

I gave a big and loud yawn that felt so good, causing me to be more at ease as I fixed myself under my comforter and lied my head on the fluffy pillow. The lights were already off in my room, so I didn't need to flip it off. The darkness was compelling enough to make me sleepier. I slowly sealed my eyes and started slipping into sleep mode, gradually forgetting about all my problems from the past two days and hoping that I would have sweet dreams. Looking forward to a better day.


	13. Chapter 12: Taking A Break

***Note: This was the LONGEST chapter I had ever done! But thank goodness I finished it! Sorry for the wait, i hope you enjoy and give some reviews! :)***

*Chapter 12: Taking A Break*

A couple of days had passed and I had been enjoying my official break since I was required to recover from my "serious" injuries. The nurses, even Tsunade recommended that I don't train, fight and won't be assigned on any missions until they believe I am in good health again, which sucks because I felt like it would take forever to get completely back to normal.

I barely realized from my last incomplete mission that it was indeed exhilarating, though I suffered wounds; had to put up with a Sand jerk who I suddenly changed his point of view on Leaf shinobi; encountered my Stone kunoichi bully from my past, who I kicked her butt in the beginning until she partially paralyzed my comrade and almost blasted him into bits until I pushed him out of the way and got into the jutsu's path; I got blown all the way to the darkest region of the forest and received a gash above my hip; I got my foot caught in a trap set by the Akatsuki, who decided to spare my life and held me captive until later when Eriku and the others came to my rescue; and I got stabbed in the shoulder while Otobo got it bad in his side by Hidan before they retreated.

Honestly, in a really strange way, it was all worth the thrill of action and adventure.

Little adrenaline was pumping through my veins as I thought about it and made coffee in the morning in my apartment's kitchen. I needed something to wake me up and get my day started.

Since it's been about two days since I left the hospital, I was certain that Eriku and Otobo were doing much better now that they had a chance to recover from their severe injuries. Seko must've been bored sitting in the room with them all that time.

Once the coffee machine was finished, I waited a couple of minutes before I grabbed a coffee mug, grabbed the coffee pitcher and poured it into the mug carefully, since it was extremely hot.

I put the pitcher back and took the mug to the kitchen table, where I sat at to drink my small breakfast. I didn't feel like eating anything big that morning, although I should have a well-balanced meal. I just wasn't that hungry.

The coffee was enough to satisfy my thirst and to energize me a bit.

While I sat and stared into my mug, eyeing the dark brown liquid, I began to slip into daydream mode. I wondered what everyone else was doing that day and what I was going to do. Earlier, I decided it would be nice to visit Eriku and Otobo at the hospital, at least before they have to return to the Sand Village. I wanted to thank them for rescuing me.

I also noticed how Deidara hadn't come over during these past couple of days. He either was busy with his missions or he actually didn't feel like seeing me, which made me wonder which one was the real answer. I wasn't sure, but I had a hunch he might pop up at any moment, on any day I don't expect his arrival. He could be unpredictable and sometimes, I don't like surprises.

Not that I worried about him too much or missed his presence here at my place, but I did speculate on what he could have been doing all that time. Curiosity got to me a lot.

I thought back to when I cried about him when I was with Hidan and Kakuzu supposed to be sleeping, how I remembered the moment when Deidara and I almost kissed when we were younger. I couldn't believe I allowed myself to think of it, knowing how painful and baffling it was to begin with. I was aware that I was in a tight situation and my emotions took over when I felt helpless, but now I was emotionally confused outside of danger.

I face palmed myself disappointedly.

I had no clue how to cure myself of this puzzlement that conquered my mind as I peered blankly at the coffee mug. But once I snapped back into reality, I tried to put it all aside briefly, drank the rest of my morning beverage and went to wash my mug and put it in one of the cupboards. I needed to clear my clouded thoughts, so I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.

Then I went into my bedroom to fix myself up, so I could head to the medical center to see my Sand friends that morning.

* * *

"Katana! Hey!," someone called my name from behind.

I was already on my way to the hospital and wasn't far from my apartment when I heard my name being said more than once. After the second time, I stopped and turned back to see what it was. At first, nothing was there and I didn't hear anyone yelling for me. I hoped I wasn't hallucinating.

"I guess it was nothing," I shrugged my shoulders and continued walking forward.

"There you are Katana Himura!," the same voice shouted from above.

I looked up and spotted two individuals standing on the rooftop of a building. I narrowed my eyes at them and once I got a better glimpse of them, my eyes lit up with delight and my smile grew wide.

"Takashi! Rukio! I can't believe it's you guys," I yelled excitedly towards them.

They jumped down and once they stood up straight, they had smirks across both their faces. My old teammates were back!

"Oh my god, it's been a long while since I last saw you two!," I said as I ran up to them with open arms and wrapped them around the two guys on opposite sides so I could hug them at the same time.

"It has been a long time Kat!," the short haired ginger head Rukio agreed enthusiastically.

Takashi Ishida and Rukio Dainichi were my former comrades from when we graduated as genin from the Ninja Academy. Things were rough between the three of us when we became a team. Takashi and Rukio had an old rivalry against each other since the academy years, one trying to outrun the other in a contest to see who was better at being a ninja. Most of the challenges were ridiculous beyond belief. Once we started our duties as official shinobi, their small imaginary campfire burned into a giant bonfire in a matter of a few D-Ranked missions.

They would have a bunch of unreasonable fist fights during and after our assignments, which made our sensei Itsuki annoyed and he always had to break them up before they caused any more damage to themselves and our teamwork.

But one day, when Takashi, Rukio and I were waiting for Itsuki Sensei to arrive and train us, the boys got into another fight about who was the strongest. It was getting too rough between them and I couldn't take their bickering any longer. I made up my mind quickly and planned to stop the fight.

As Takashi swung his fist towards Rukio in an effort to knock him out, I jumped in between and received the punch on my left cheekbone instead, forcing me to fall to the side on my back. When I got up, I felt a sharp pain in my mouth and I spat out a little blood. I started to cry as I saw the shocked expression on both their faces. Right then, Itsuki Sensei arrived to find me bleeding and bruised and became infuriated with the two, stating he was very dissatisfied of our team.

Later that day, after our training session ended and I was about to head home, both Takashi and Rukio came up to me and apologized for accidentally hitting me because I tried to stop their physical argument. Takashi felt the guiltiest since he was the one who inflicted the injury on me. I was able to tell by the shame in his eyes.

From that day forward, they faced each other and decided to bury the hatchet, vowing to get along and work together, for the sake of their team, for themselves and especially to protect me. I was their main reason for proclaiming this change. They finally realized what harm they caused arguing about who was the best when they saw the redness on my cheek.

They also knew that my parents were scary when it came down to things like me getting hurt and would be furious once I had to explain the story, so they were on edge about it. After vowing, they shook hands and even briefly embraced, though they made awkward faces afterwards, but I laughed happily, because I believed things were going to turn out well for the better.

They kept their word and our jobs were much easier to handle without any major bickering or getting physical towards one another. It was rather peaceful between them, although they rarely gave glares towards each other. I was pleased with their slow growing friendship process.

Even though it had been years since then and I had forgiven them a long time ago, Takashi still mentioned how sorry he was for what happened and claimed he was still in my debt for hurting me, usually asking me if there was anything I needed from him. I had already given him a few tasks here and then, but it seemed it didn't satisfy him enough to convince him that everything was fine. I couldn't even tell him myself that he didn't owe me anything. As serious and down to earth as he was, he was also as stubborn.

I was surprised Rukio wasn't always that way.

"Yeah it has," the dark brown spikey haired Takashi agreed coolly as he lightly stroked my hair.

I released them and stepped back a bit so I could have another good look at them, smirking in their direction. They were wearing their Leaf Village uniform, which included their olive green flak jackets, dark long sleeve tops and dark pants, except Rukio had his sleeves slightly rolled up.

"So what are you guys up to?," I asked them curiously.

"We actually finished reporting our completed mission to the Hokage and now we're just wandering around. Of course, the first thing we wanted to do was see our dear little friend," Takashi answered smirking as he patted my head playfully.

"Hey! I'm not little! I mean, I'm short but I'm eighteen now," I told them a little annoyed.

They both shortly laughed.

"We know that Kat! We were just messing with you, that's all," Rukio said smiling friendly, "So what are you doing this morning?"

"Well, I was going to go to the hospital and visit some friends of mine," I replied as I glanced around me and faced them again.

They both cocked an eyebrow at me, which seemed weird because now they act like they're brothers by doing the same motions. They just confused me so much lately.

"Really? Who's there?," Takashi wondered quizzically.

"Yeah who you gonna visit? Don't tell me Zephyrus or Hana got hurt!," Rukio assumed frantically.

Both Takashi and I sighed as Rukio showed a sign of panic on his face, practically sweating from the idea of one of our friends being injured. He tends to overreact about certain things that aren't that big of a deal. I had a feeling that he and Hana must be related.

"No Rukio, they're all fine. Zephyrus is still gone on his mission and Hana is okay elsewhere," I explained calmly.

"Well what about Riko and Luka?," he added in a questionable tone.

"I don't know where they are, but I'm sure they're doing okay too," I said smiling pleasantly, hoping to cheer him up.

He then sniffled and shook his head to loosen up and return to normal.

"Alright if you say so Katana!," he said happily.

I was pleased he was feeling better once I assured him. I didn't like to see him upset, since he was usually the one teammate who was always in high spirits, which motivated the rest of us to be as enthusiastic as him. I also didn't want to mention that the "friends" I was seeing were from the Hidden Sand from my previous mission. I was scared to tell them about what happened.

"Rukio, we need to take care of some other business," Takashi nodded towards Rukio.

Rukio nodded in agreement and turned to face me as I wondered with interest.

"Looks like we're parting again Kat, but don't worry, I'm sure that soon, Lady Tsunade will assign a mission with the three of us together again," Rukio said excitedly.

"Or we could hang out another time outside of duty," Takashi added with a smirk.

Rukio and I nodded in approval and I beamed at both of my kind comrades.

"We'll see you later. I hope your friends feel better, whoever they are," Takashi said as he started heading off at a slow walking pace.

"Goodbye Kat! We'll see you again soon! Love you," Rukio bid farewell as he bear hugged me for almost a minute, squeezing me slightly too tight before letting go and ran after Takashi.

I waved goodbye as I laughed at how silly they were and started heading for the direction of the hospital.

* * *

After asking one of the nurses which room Eriku and Otobo were in, I hurried out of slight excitement and soon made it to the door of their room. I raised my arm, sighed momentarily and then firmly knocked on the door three times.

I waited for a response, heard a male voice shout "come in", and then I opened the door carefully, entering and finding both guys lying straight up in their beds.

"Hey guys," I softly said as I closed the door behind me and approached to the side of Eriku's bed.

"Oh Katana, it's a surprise to see you here," Eriku commented while smiling towards me.

"Well, I had nothing better to do and I wanted to see my saviors before ya eventually have to leave," I said smiling gently.

Eriku was scrolling his eyes at me from head to toe, which made me wonder why he was checking me out like that, as if he saw something alarmingly.

"Is there something wrong Eriku?," I finally asked.

"It's just, you look nice in that outfit, especially with a bow on. You look pretty…," he said a bit hesitantly as he blushed briefly and shifted his head the other way to avoid eye contact.

I was surprised that he complimented on my outfit that my cheeks were flushed and my eyes grew wide. I was rather speechless for a moment as I glanced down at my clothes and lightly touched my straight hair. I was wearing a red short sleeve V-neck shirt with black skinny jeans and my usually black sandals. I also attached a big red bow to hold back some of my bangs and a piece of my hair to the side. I also wore my usual makeup, which was eyeliner, mascara and a light amount of blush. I knew I was looked kind of cute but I never thought I looked pretty enough. Talk about not being confident in myself and my looks.

"Oh, well thank you…," I thanked him as I peered down at my feet shyly.

I pulled out a metal chair from beside his bed towards me and sat quickly on it, wiggling my rear a little from side to side just to make myself comfortable. I looked back at Eriku before glancing over at Otobo, who was peering over at me with a small smirk.

"Hey Otobo, are you feeling better," I asked as I gently waved towards him and smiled.

"Yeah, thanks for asking," he nodded.

I turned my attention back to Eriku when I noticed him staring at something on my shirt. I was concerned at first because his eyes appeared blank and vacant.

"Are you okay Eriku?," I asked anxiously.

He snapped back into reality as he shook his head and peered up at my face, meeting his gentle hazel eyes with mine.

"Nothing, I was just wondering, are how you. Wait! I meant to say how are you! Damn it I'm all mixed up…," he said embarrassedly face palming himself.

I tilted my head to the side oddly, but giggled at his mistake while Otobo sighed disappointedly.

"It's okay, I'm actually doing well. Thanks for asking," I said beaming at him.

He was acting strange around me now. I wasn't sure what I had done to make him nervous, but I looked past it since I found it entertaining in a way.

"That's good news. How is your shoulder?," he wondered as he darted my right shoulder.

I turned my head to gaze over to my right, tugged and slowly slipped my sleeve to reveal my bare shoulder. I examined the bandages that wrapped around it and caught a glimpse of the dried crimson red spot that seeped through the white gauze. I looked back at Eriku to see if he was checking it out, since I was showing him.

He had a sad look in his eyes, like he was bothered by the sight of my wound, believing it was his fault I got it. He must've felt bad that I got hurt trying to protect him when he was helpless and beaten, twice, although I was sure he had no idea about the gash I received from the trees when I was flying uncontrollably across the forest.

"I'm so sorry I caused all this...," he told me solemnly.

I fixed my sleeve and looked at him puzzled, yet gloomy at the same time.

"You don't need to blame yourself. My shoulder is doing much better and so is my upper hip area," I informed him confidently.

He was startled when I mentioned my other wound, scanned my body with his eyes frantically, which caused me to tense up.

"What did you say? Another injury? Where?," he anxiously questioned as he tightened his body and sat up straight, softly groaning at the slight pain he felt in his stomach area.

I stood up for a brief moment to try and help him relax, carefully patting him on the shoulder.

"Eriku, please be careful. You still haven't fully recovered," I warned him worriedly.

He laid back a bit on his bed, sighed as he shut his eyes and then frowned at me. Who knew what he was thinking but I sensed he was even more upset that he found out I had another wound somewhere.

"Show me the other wound," he tranquilly demanded.

Obeying his request, I grabbed the bottom of my shirt on my right side, hesitantly raised it and presented the stitched up gash that ran across the upper area of my hip. I slightly blushed out of awkwardness and looked the other way, as if I was partially flashing myself at him, though I knew I would never do such thing.

"Ouch," Otobo said from the other side of the room.

I scrolled my eyes to peek at Eriku from the corner of my eye, wondering how he reacted to the sight of my deep cut.

"When did you get that?," he asked apprehensively.

I pulled my shirt back down in haste and brushed it down, leaving my hands in my lap and peered down at the floor, frowning.

"I got it after I pushed you away from Takuna's attack. I was launched all the way to the dark regions of the forest and hit plenty of trees while flying in midair. I most likely got it from one of the tough sharp edges of the tree branches," I explained to him without making eye contact.

His expression turned into pure remorse once I finished my explanation. He seemed even gloomier than before as he peered at his hands. He then clenched them into fists on his lap.

"That was my fault as well… I'm sorry Kat, if only I hadn't gotten myself into those situations, I could've prevented you from getting hur-!"

I interrupted him by lightly planting my lips against his warm cheek. I moved away and smiled at him as he was bewildered by my action. His eyes were as wide as baseballs and his mouth was hanging a tad open.

"W-What was t-that for Katana?!," he questioned with a flushed red face.

I began to laugh at his face expression as Otobo looked quizzically at him team leader. He was definitely behaving differently, something I hadn't seen from him before as he clenched on to his blanket tightly. It felt like I was teasing the guy, although I wasn't attempting anything mischievous.

"That was for coming to my rescue earlier," I answered appreciatively.

Then I stood up, walked over to Otobo who stared at me with a speculating look on his face, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, leaving him briefly speechless and faintly blushing bright red.

"You get one too Otobo. Thank you for jumping in front to protect me from Hidan," I thanked him as I beamed brightly towards him.

"You're not gonna slap us in the face after that, like you did with Seko right?," Otobo asked troubling as he cupped both his cheeks with his hands, acting as shields in case I made an effort to attack them next.

I tilted my head out of confusion and twisted my body to check on the still flushed Eriku, who was mimicking his comrade's acts. I pouted and giggled softly afterwards, alarming them both.

"Of course not. He had a reason for me to smack him, he tossed me up in the air to fend for myself while he fought Kakuzu and as I was still tied up," I told them waving my hand disregarding.

They both sighed of relief and lowered their arms on top of their laps. I searched around the room, barely realizing that Seko wasn't there with us.

"Where's Seko?," I asked, hoping one of the two listened.

"He got bored and decided to take a stroll around the village, just to kill time," Otobo responded as he made eye contact with me.

"Oh, I see," I said understandingly.

Eriku yawned loudly behind me, which even made Otobo yawn a few seconds afterwards. I really believed yawns were contagious once I followed them with a light yawn several seconds later. I checked the time on the clock that hung on the wall and it was already close to the afternoon.

"You guys tired already? It's only several minutes 'til one," I said playfully.

"Well, lying in a comfy bed inside a quiet room tends to make me sleepy, especially since rest is all we can do until we're ready to head home," Eriku clarified as he turned his attention to Otobo, "Don't you agree Otobo?"

"Honestly, I'd rather be at home in the Sand Village relaxing, not that there's anything wrong with this place, but being at my own home gives me the sense of peace and tranquility, you know what I mean?," Otobo answered coolly.

Eriku nodded in agreement as he laid back delicately on the bed and gazed towards me, giving a gentle smile while his eyes softened. When Otobo did the same, except he shut his eyes closed to rest, I glanced at the clock again and felt like it was time to let them relax in peace.

"I think I'll let you guys be. I need to head back to my apartment anyways and do some cleaning," I said as I made sure I gathered my things and prepared to leave the room, "So, I'll be seeing you three again someday?"

"Definitely. It's been a pleasure serving with you Katana Himura of the Hidden Leaf Village. I look forward to working together again soon," Eriku said as he nodded his head and smirked.

I couldn't help but smile after I heard those words. He praised and addressed me in such an honorable manner, although I wasn't actually expecting it, since I wasn't all that great of a ninja, at least yet. But it felt nice to be respected in some way.

"The pleasure is all mine, Eriku Kurizu and Otobo of the Hidden Sand," I said flattered and bowed before them.

After that, I walked casually to the door and grabbed the doorknob, slightly twisting it so I could open it.

"Katana," Otobo called me.

I held on to the knob firmly and stood there facing the door.

"Yes?," I replied curiously.

There was a long awkward silence that filled the room as I waited for a response from him. I didn't know what he was going to tell me, but I hoped it was some sort of compliment and not rude remarks about me and my village. I expected that from him, even though he claimed he had a change in heart.

"Thank you for saving my friend, twice. It means a lot that you weren't just thinking of yourself," he said gratifyingly.

Once again, I was blown away by his words. He really surprised me and by the sincerity of his voice, I knew he meant what he said. Baffled, I remained quiet for a while as I faced the door, twisted the doorknob all the way and pulled the door towards me and paused halfway through the doorway. I turned my head to look toward him and Eriku, giving a warm smile.

"I did what was right," I only said as I cheerfully smirked and then walked out of the room, closing the door behind me.

* * *

It was already seven fifty-six in the evening, only minutes away from eight o'clock and I had finally finished cleaning my apartment until it was in top shape. I put as much work as I could into it and was actually satisfied with the results. I wasn't like those crazy housewives who had to flip their houses upside down and have it super squeaky clean or they would go nuts, but I didn't want it to have obvious filthy patches either. I wasn't that lazy about tidying my own home.

"Phew! Thank god I got it all done. I thought it would never end…," I thought to myself as I wiped my forehead of any sweat I developed.

After I put up all the cleaning supplies, I went into my bedroom and sat at the edge of the bed, pondering about what was next on my agenda. I scanned my surrounding in case I missed a spot and found nothing. There was no other work I could do for the moment. My right shoulder and my hip area became sore after I had stretched and worked the entire afternoon, since my recovering wounds were in those places on my body and were the most severe.

I wasn't supposed to make a lot of movement ‒according to Tsunade and the nurses‒ until I improved and my wounds were completely closed, so I had to be cautious and do small things around the rooms as I cleaned up. It was difficult, but I did it. That's why it took longer to finish.

Suddenly, I could smell a foul odor that filled my nostrils. I sniffed around and at first I couldn't catch the scent anymore, until I lifted up my shirt from the bottom and took a big whiff of it, which caused me to make a sour face expression.

"Ugh! I smell awful! I will go shower now," I proclaimed as I jumped up on my feet, grabbed my towel in haste and ran for the bathroom, shutting the door behind me hard.

It took me about thirty to forty minutes, as usual, to shower until I was in fact super squeaky clean. I checked myself in the mirror as I dried my hair with the pastel pink towel, remembering I had forgotten to bring my clothes in the bathroom with me to change into. But it didn't bother me, since I was indeed alone so I could just simply walk out naked and grab my pjs with no problem, though I'd rather wrap the towel around my body than do that.

As I brought down my towel and wrapped it halfway around me, a sudden peculiar feeling came to my senses. Uncertain of it, I stuffed the edge on the towel underneath so it could stay bounded over me, pulled open my small draw from under the sink and grabbed a kunai I had there in case of emergencies. I carefully grasped the doorknob and twisted it slowly, slamming open the door after I counted to three.

I searched the bedroom while in defensive mode, with the kunai knife raised in front of me. There was nothing there and the strange feeling gradually faded away. I sighed of relief and turned around to carefully push the door closed.

"Hey Kat. Hmm," a cool male voice greeted from right behind me and next to my ear.

My body tensed up and jolted as I got started. I swung my arm back and tossed the kunai behind me, twisting myself to see who it really was. He stood and stared at the kunai that was now stuck into my wall, smirking at my reaction.

"Nice try, but you missed. Hmm," Deidara said as he peered over at me.

I became furious in an instant.

"D-Deidara?! Why… the hell… do you do this…?! How… the hell… did you get… into… my… apartment… this time?!," I questioned agitatedly as I banged my hand against the wall while grasping my towel firmly.

I secured my windows, made sure the locks on my doors functioned well as they should and made sure there we no other possible ways of breaking and entering. How could he have gotten in there this time?

He chuckled as I glowered at him.

"I used one of my creations to slip in through the crack of the front door and crawl into your bedroom so it could unlock the window and allow me to push it open and enter. Hmm," he answered as he grinned deviously.

I swear I felt like punching him in the face real hard, but I was only in a towel and if I moved too much, it would eventually fall off and expose my bare body to him, which was something I wasn't planning on doing.

"Damn you," I told him as I raised my right arm up and clenched my hand into a fist, ready to attack him again, but then I felt a slight rush of pain around my shoulder and lowered my hand.

He frowned when he noticed me wince in discomfort and darted my right shoulder, approaching me slowly. Once he got close enough, my body tensed and gripped my towel tighter to keep it on my body. Expecting him to do something bad to me, I glared up at him defensively, waiting for him to make his move.

He raised an arm and instead, gently stroked my dried wound on my shoulder, which stung a little when he touched the actual spot. I gazed at his face and noticed how troubled he looked as he observed my injury.

"Hidan did this to you, didn't he? Hmm," he said as a question, meeting his cold blue eye with my eyes.

I only stared at him before I sighed and prepared to answer.

"Yeah," I replied.

"That bastard. Hmm," he said shifting his eyebrows angrily and gritting his teeth together, "Kakuzu told me what happened once they returned to the hideout. I got pissed off when I found out Hidan intentionally hurt you. Hmm."

"I can take care of myself, don't worry. Did Kakuzu also tell you that Hidan was trying to have his way with me? How he licked my neck and tried to do things to me when Kakuzu wasn't around?," I asked him irritated.

His eyes widened and his frown deepened.

"He did mention something like that, but it wasn't registering in my mind since all that was thinking of was how you got stabbed along with your comrade from the Sand. Hmm," he informed me gloomily, though he tried to hide it by clearing his throat.

"I even have a gash above my hip area, but it's stitched up," I added looking down at the floor.

"Oh, well can I see it? Hmm," he wondered.

I peered up at him and shifted my eyebrows out of a sudden annoyance for him, but then I inhaled and exhaled carefully.

"You can't see it until I put on my clothes," I told him firmly.

Then his mouth curved into a devilish grin. I automatically knew what that meant when I saw that look in his eyes. The immoral aura he gave off made me tense up.

"Aw, why can't you show me now? I don't mind that you're in your bra and panties. Hmm," he said teasingly as he placed one hand against the door and next to me, while the other was on his hip as he leaned over me.

I felt my eyes grow wide and my face must've flushed with pure redness because I felt hot in the room as I gripped the towel snugger. I felt the heat from both our bodies and I wasn't comfortable.

"Oh my god! I'm naked under here you creep!," I shouted heatedly as I raised a fist near him.

"Oh, even better. Hmm," he said mischievously in a sensual way, causing my body to shiver.

He even chuckled afterwards and I was getting madder by the minute as he grinned at me. I shoved him away roughly and walked up to my dresser so I could get my pajamas and my undergarments. I slid open the third drawer of the four drawers, pulled out my black spaghetti strap top and my red capris pants. Then I opened the second drawer, where my underwear and bras were and paused for a moment.

I obviously wasn't going to change in front of Deidara and I didn't want to pull out my undergarments for him to see either. I looked over to him and gave a glare.

"What? Hmm," he asked interestedly smirking.

"Do you mind? I need to take out a few things, so turn the other way and no peeking!"

"That's no fun. Hmm," he said jokingly.

"Do it or I'll beat the hell out of you!," I threatened.

He sighed first, and then laughed softly before twisting his body towards the opposite direction to where his back was showing. I took advantage, snatched a pair of undies and a matching colored bra and stuffed them in between my folded pjs. I even grabbed my Yang necklace and put it on while he wasn't looking,. Then I picked them up and headed for the bathroom door, eyeing Deidara to make sure he wasn't trying any funny business. He turned his head to face me with a curious expression as I watched him.

"I'll be out in a bit. Don't you dare try anything," I warned him as I opened the bathroom and shut it closed roughly.

In only a few minutes, I came out to find Deidara sitting on my side of the bed, peering down at something lying on his lap. When I narrowed my eyes to get a better look, I recognized the object as a big book, with a hard black cover. Then I realized, it was my old photo album I stored away.

"Hey! Where did you get that?," I asked as I pointed at him irritably.

He looked up at me and remained silent at first, with a normal pleasant face.

"While you were changing, I went into your closet and found this sitting around, so I was curious and decided to look through it. Hmm," he answered as he put his attention back on the album to quickly glance over one page and flipped to the next.

My word, I honestly didn't know what to do with this guy. First he entered my apartment uninvited, then he always tried to sweet talk me and now he dug through my stuff and thinks it's okay to see my personal items!

I rushed up to him, snatched the book away from him crudely and flipped it shut, clasping on to it against my chest.

"I didn't give you permission to go through my belongings. You could've at least asked first, but now you lost your privilege to see the pictures," I told him unkindly as I placed it on top of my dresser and turned to face him with a glare, putting my hands on my hips and pouting.

He began to look annoyed with me, narrowing his eyes towards my direction as I did the same. We were having a glare battle between us for a brief moment before my hip started stinging a little and I made a quiet groan, so I removed my hand from that spot.

That's when he lost his concentration on my eyes and moved it to my side area.

"That reminds me, can I see your other wound? Now that you have clothes on? Hmm," he gave a small smirk.

I cursed under my breath in defeat and pulled the bottom part of the tank top up to an inch under my breasts to reveal my stitched gash, avoiding contact with him by turning my head the other way and continued to pout.

"Are you done yet?," I asked annoyed with having to hold up my top.

"So you're wearing black panties? Hmm," he said out of the blue.

Extremely shocked by what he said, I glanced down at my capris and noticed a piece of my underwear showing. Out of embarrassment and rage, I punched Deidara in the face, which sent him flying off the bed and against the wall. I pulled down my top and held my fist in the air, tightening my grip and gritted my teeth against each other.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, you sick perverted mother fucker?! You're lucky I hadn't used all my power to break every fucking bone in your body! Make another remark like that and I'll… I'll," I exclaimed from the top of my lungs, but couldn't continue as my eyes became moist and I began to choke back my tears, so I turned away and buried my face in my hands.

For some unknown reason, or maybe it was guilt, but I started to feel bad that I even hit him. I felt my tears rolling from my eyes and into the palm of my hands. I tried very hard to hold them back, but I couldn't control my sudden weeping any longer. It was like my emotions were scrambling up again, causing mass confusion. I felt ashamed that I allowed myself to let out an outburst of curse words like that towards someone, even if it was Deidara who provoked me from the start. I usually never cursed this badly.

I felt like I had no right to damage him for that stupid reason. I was uncertain of what I truly felt at that point. I was showing my weakness, right in front of him too.

Unexpectedly, I felt something wrap around my waist from behind and firmly held me tight. It was warm and comforting, but I was confused on what it was. When I lowered my hands, I peered down to see two arms around my body. I didn't need to turn and see who it was because I knew it was him.

"Deidara…," I softly said while staring blankly at the floor.

I could feel his chin gently digging into my shoulder as he rested his head on me. I guess he didn't mind my loose wet hair. Tears still rolled down my cheek.

"It's alright Katana. I deserved that punch for acting stupid. I'm sorry. Hmm," he said apologetically in an undertone.

He snugged a bit tighter, but it didn't faze me. For once, after all these years, I actually desired this for a long time.

I was speechless and my mind was still mixed on what I should do next. But I had to make things right, somehow. I grabbed his arms and pried them apart so I could release myself from his grip. Then I let go and faced him, meeting my eyes with his visible soft icy blue one.

"No, I'm sorry. I overreacted and now I'm being too emotional. I shouldn't have cursed so fiercely towards you," I apologized, in a slightly regrettable way.

"So you're not acknowledging that you whacked me across the room? Hmm," he wondered with an arched eyebrow.

Realized I had missed that important flaw, I began to laugh softly in front of him as it gradually became louder. He was confused on what was happening to me as I laughed harder to the point where I had to clench on to my stomach.

Shortly, I covered my mouth as I snickered at him.

"So you're okay now? Hmm," he asked inquiringly.

I nodded in approval as I smirked and patted his cheek that I left a red fist print on after I socked him in the face. He winced as I pinched it a little and lightly smacked it, leaving him to rub it afterwards. I hoped he didn't think I went crazy, but it didn't really bother me much, because I was in a better mood by a small percentage.

I turned around and took the photo album off the book shelf and raised it out to hand to him with a plain expression on my face. He looked surprised at me and then at the book. He seemed puzzled, like as if he didn't know what the right thing to do was. I moved it closer to him to gesture for him to grab it as he continued to gaze at it.

"C'mon! Do you still wanna look at it or not? Before I put it away and hide it for good," I warned him as I glared at him as I got tired of standing there and waiting for him to do something.

Then, he finally smirked, grabbed the album from me and nodded his head politely.

"Thanks Kat. Hmm," he thanked me as he went to the other side of the bed and sat there.

He opened the book to where he left off and he continued to look at my old pictures I had from when I was younger. While he did that, I searched for my hair brush on the vanity and once I found it, I took it and sat on my side of the bed, carefully stroking through my hair with it.

We remained silent for about several minutes, with his still looking through pictures while I kept brushing through my damp hair. It was awkward yet peaceful, since we weren't bickering with one another.

"You kept our old photos of us? Hmm," he said as he lifted the album sideways to show me the pictures of us two when we were kids.

I glanced at them before eyeing him, halting me from my brushing.

"Yeah. I wasn't going to just throw them out after the situation occurred," I explained to him as I grazed a few times through my long brown hair.

"I thought you would. I figured you would've hated me so badly that you could've burned them all into dust. Hmm," he said jokingly as he flipped to another page.

I peered at him quizzically, placing my brush down and putting my hands in my lap.

"I was very furious with you," I admitted as I stared at the bed sheet.

He paused and looked at me, most likely noticing my face expression turn into sorrow in a matter of seconds. I thought back to went I was fourteen, when I found out the dreadful news that had changed my life forever.

_I had just came home from training with my team and I was ready to finally relax after a long day of hard work. As I entered the house, I shouted "Mom, Dad, I'm home!", took off my sandals and walked through the hallway._

_I didn't hear anyone respond to my announcement of my arrival, so I went to check around to see if my parents were even home._

_When I walked by the kitchen, I saw them both inside the dining room together, looking down at something in my mother's hands._

_Both their faces showed signs of disbelief, which made me wonder what was going on, since they looked unhappy, so I entered the room and approached them at the table._

"_Hi mom, hi dad. What are you guys doing?," I asked them with interest._

_When they both looked up at me, my mother's eyes appeared moist, while my dad expressed scowling. I was confused since they both remained silent and refused to tell me anything._

"_What's wrong?," I asked worrying._

_Finally, my mother raised out a scroll in her hand, gesturing me to grab and read it, so I took it and opened it wide to fully read it to myself._

_**Dear Chatsu Himura and family,**_

_**We regret to inform you that your friend's son, Deidara, has committed a crime by steal the Hidden Stone Village's Forbidden Jutsu and has left the village, which means he has been declared as a traitor and a missing ninja. He has also been declared a dangerous S-Rank Criminal due to his occupation as a Terrorist Bomber for hire and has attacked several villages as we speak, including the Hidden Stone. We realize that he was most likely a good acquaintance to you and your family and we are sorry you had to hear the news from us at the Stone Village. The Tsuchikage had instructed to send the message as it concerned him that you are unaware of these series of events, knowing you and your family were close to him.**_

_**Our sincere apologies,**_

_**Shinobi of the Village Hidden among the Stones.**_

_I was overwhelmed with shock after I read that scroll that I dropped it on the floor and trembled throughout my whole body. I fell to the floor and began to grow very upset._

"_Katana…," my mother called to me sadly._

_I ignored her, stood up and ran towards the front door. I quickly put on my sandals and raced out of the house. Frustrated and angry, I ran all the way to the training grounds to seclude myself from everyone for a while. I didn't care what was going on from my surroundings and I didn't want people to see me in my moment of devastation._

_I sat on a thick branch from one of the trees, rolled up into a ball and buried my face into my folded legs, crying so heavily. My heart ached painfully as I was filled with disbelief from what I read about Deidara._

_I couldn't believe that the one person I cared about the most, the one friend who was dearest to me and who I was willing to grow up and have a future with, suddenly committed these bad crimes and leaves his village. Even after we promised so many things, after all we've been through together, it was hard to handle. It felt like he just jabbed his hand into my chest and mercilessly ripped my heart out, crushing it in his hand until it busted._

_Then my sadness turned into rage and hatred after realizing what he did was incredibly messed up. I clenched my hands into fists and continued to weep, vowing to hate him forever for the wrong he did to his village and to our friendship. I believed I could never forgive him for what he had done to us._

_I continued to cry and cry for many months after that terrible day as it felt like I was in a deep depression that would never fade. But with the help of my friends and family, I managed to move on with my life and live happily, but there was never a day I didn't think of Deidara._

I clenched on to my pants tightly and began to slightly cry again, though I really tried to fight the tears back real hard that time.

"Even to this day, I still don't understand why it had to happen like this… Things could've been different if you hadn't done what you did… But I can't control your choices of actions, I know that now… You chose to steal the forbidden jutsu to enhance your abilities and your "art"... You chose to leave your village and you chose to become a terrorist bomber for hire…," I sniffled roughly, turning my head in the other direction to avoid contact with him.

All I heard him do was close the album and then sigh heavily.

"Yes, I did choose to do those things. Hmm. My artistic belief is strong and I love to show off my creations to others in a physically mind blowing way. Hmm," he began to explain, "But, I didn't choose to join the Akatsuki, I was unfortunately forced into that situation. Hmm. I also chose to go through the trouble of earning the money so I could get those necklaces for us to share. I chose to come and see you after I made a huge time gap between us and I chose to keep coming back because I missed you and how things were between us. Hmm. So I guess you could say, I chose to attempt to make things right and start from scratch, to try to restore the friendship that we once had. Hmm."

My mind was definitely blow by that speech. I gazed over at him with such astonishment in my eyes. That was the most surprisingly meaningful thing I've ever heard from him in years.

"Deidara…," I said in my mind as my eyes were wide.

I couldn't help but blush from it all. My heart began to race rapidly from the thought of him trying so hard to fixed our friendship, I nearly wanted to faint.

"Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you something. Hmm," he said as he smirked towards me.

I peered at him curiously as I still had flushed cheeks.

"Yes Deidara?," I wondered.

He was quiet for several seconds as he gulped and met his soft visible light blue eye with mine.

"The leader says I have a vacation for several days, so since I'm free to do whatever I want, I was wondering if I could… um, could I spend the night here with you? Just for a couple of days. Hmm," he asked as he slightly blushed bright red and looked down.

I was surprised that his cheeks were flushed and that he wanted to stay the night at my apartment. Him? Here at my place? I thought it was a bit crazy since I'd be having a wanted man in my home, hidden from everyone I know. Plus it sounded kiddie-ish.

"Really? Spend the night here? Doesn't that sound weird to you?," I asked him with an arched eyebrow.

"Not really. Hmm," he shrugged his shoulders carelessly, "You used to come over to my house and spend the night all the time. Hmm."

"When we were kids. Now we're both eighteen and it seems strange for us to be doing that stuff still," I explained, although it sounded more like complaining.

"C'mon, please Kat? I've nothing better to do and I don't feel like going back to the hideout to spend my vacation there. Hmm," he pleaded.

Originally, I would've denied such a loony request, since we still have issues with each other, but after he told me those thoughtful things, which somehow moved me, and he was suddenly acting timidly, how could I say no? Besides, if he tried anything else, I could pummel him into pieces. It sounded pretty fair to me.

"Fine, you can sta-!," I was interrupted by him hugging me tightly.

"Aw thanks Katana! You're the best as always. Hmm," he said happily.

He was holding me too tightly that he was putting pressure on my shoulder wound, which began to hurt. I groaned and complained enough for him to release me and he apologized for hurting me.

Soon, it was time for bed and I was already prepped up and ready to sleep. I was going to force Deidara to sleep on the couch in the living room, but I felt guilty that I'd be secluding him to another room, leaving both of us lonely, so in a regrettable way, I allowed him to lay by my side on the bed. I wasn't sure how I was going to enjoy this.

"I'm ready to go to sleep…," I yawned and stretched my arms out before fixing myself in the bed and underneath the sheets.

I made Deidara shower before he tried to lay in my bed all filthy like. When he finally finished and came out, he was only in his solid black boxers and was drying his hair with the towel I gave him to use. I was red-faced after observing his fit body and partially hid my face underneath the blanket, making him chuckle at my action.

"What's the matter? Haven't you seen a guy in boxers before? Hmm," he said playfully as he approached his side of the bed.

"Yes, but only if there's swimming involved. You're not sleeping like that, are you?," I wondered, hoping he'd put some pants on at least.

"Of course I am. I sleep more comfortable like this. Hmm," he said as he approached his side of the bed.

I wasn't sure if I was about to be delighted with lying in the same bed as my very surprisingly attractive childhood friend or if I would find this incredibly awkward because he was ridiculously good looking. I began to slightly shake in nervousness and my heart started racing again from the thought of him lying next to me. My face flushed even more than before as I slid more underneath my blanket out of embarrassment.

"But w-won't you find it weird to be sleeping in bed in your boxers while I'm in here too? I mean, it's not like I sleep in my undies and my bra," I argued so he could change his mind.

"Wouldn't that be nice? Hmm," he commented with a grin and a wink as he slipped into bed after drying his hair and pulled the blanket over him.

"Shut up!," I said annoyed as I glowered at him.

I spotted the black markings on the right side of his chest that surrounded a stitched area. It was strange.

"Deidara, what's that on your chest?," I asked as I sat up and raised my arm out to lightly touch it with the tips of my fingers.

His skin was really soft and smooth, even warm.

He glanced down at the spot before looking at me with a plain face expression, then he sighed deeply.

"Along with developing mouths on the palms of my hands from the forbidden jutsu, I also received a mouth here on my chest, but it has to be sealed up because it can only be used as a final drastic measure, for when I perform what will be known as my Ultimate Art. Hmm," he said sounding somewhat proud in his voice.

His Ultimate Art? Final drastic measure? It seemed like it was a jutsu meant for self-sacrifice, which didn't sound pleasant to me.

"You mean, this jutsu is for committing suicide?," I asked concerned.

Thinking of him dying from trying to blow things up with his art was not a decent thought. I was beginning to get scared that he would be foolish enough to perform the jutsu someday, throwing away everything he lived for, but I knew I wouldn't be able to stop him if it occurred. I was afraid to lose him.

I was sure he could tell how upset I looked about him possessing such a dangerous ability by the way he frowned. He then wrapped his strong arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. His body was absolutely warm as he gripped me firmly. I actually liked it.

"But don't worry about it, I won't be demonstrating my greatest art anytime soon. I've been doing well with my simple creations already. Hmm," he assured me.

I sighed of relief as he patted my arm a few times before releasing me.

I yawned again which made him smirk towards me as he fixed himself and laid down with his head on the pillow. I sighed in defeat since I knew he was going to be stubborn and rest in his boxers anyways, no matter how hard I'd try to convince him. He would most likely throw in perverted comments, which was something that I didn't want to hear or I decided to beat him again, next time, I wouldn't feel guilty about it.

"Well, I hope you sleep well tonight. Hmm," he said with warming smile.

He almost appeared like his old self with all his hair down. He even removed the eye scope he had over his other eye, sometimes; he liked to keep his eye closed since his bangs were usually in the way, but this time he had it open. I couldn't help but smile back at him and laid right next to him.

"Yeah, you too," I said sort of shyly as I gently scratched my right cheek.

"Good night Kat," he smirked before he turned on his side with his back facing me.

"Good night, Deidara," I said in an undertone as I did the same, facing my back with his.

Honestly, this was the most uncomfortable thing I've ever agreed to, but I couldn't avoid it now. We were sharing my bed and would be for the next couple of days. It felt bad yet good at the same time. I don't know why, but I felt if he continued to try as hard as he's been doing already, things between us might lighten up a bit. However, I wasn't going to let him off the hook real easily. My heart was still damaged and despite the good deeds he had done for me, it didn't fully convince me.

I just hoped that I could sleep through the night peacefully, with him beside me.


	14. Chapter 13: Another Nightmare

*Chapter 13: Another Nightmare*

Peculiar noises were faintly whispering in my ears. I squeezed my eyes closed tighter as the noises sounded more like eerie voices. I couldn't comprehend what they were saying or who was even speaking to me. It sounded like someone was singing from a distance, it would be in piano one moment but then it gradually grew into forte. It bothered me so much that I had to open my eyes and check what it was.

I found myself lying on the dark hard ground of an unknown place that was covered with endless darkness, almost pitch black. I sat up quickly and saw that Deidara was with me and when I looked down at myself, I was wearing that pretty white dress from the other time I was somewhere like this. I sighed at the realization that I was in fact, dreaming again.

"Another dream? What could it be this time?," I said as I stood up slowly, hearing my voice echo endlessly.

I twisted my body around, scanning my surroundings. It was just like last time when I encountered the strange cloaked man, except, he wasn't here now and I wasn't covered in his blood, which I was glad that was the case.

"Hello? Is anybody here?," I asked as my words echoed down the limitless walls.

I was worried and curious at the same time. I didn't know what to expect from this dream and since Deidara wasn't in sight, I knew I would be going through this all alone again. I just prayed that nothing unusual happened that time.

I noticed the voices stopped shortly after I spoke. It became bizarrely quiet and I was a little on edge about what was going on, since there was no noise from every corner of the place. My heart slightly beat fast as the suspense began to overwhelm me. I raised my arms up against my chest as I scrolled my eyes around the darkness, wondering what would appear next.

"Gotcha," a cold familiar voice whispered in my ear.

Alarmed as the person threw their long weapon right in front of me and used it to practically choke me, I began to struggle from the suffocation it brought me. I could feel the hard coolness of the stick part pressing against my neck. I grabbed the other sides of it and tried to push it away, but the person's hold was stronger than mine. For some reason, I was unable to use my super strength to break free.

I scrolled my eyes side to side to examine the weapon they were using. It was red and black and it had three big red blades on one side. That's when I began to recall the only person who had that specific scythe.

"H-Hidan…?!," I said as a sudden rush of fear began to engulf me.

"I've fucking missed you," he chuckled deviously.

Next, he twisted to the side and threw me down to the ground hard, with a whoop of air escaping my lips from impact. My back felt like it was throbbing from pain. I watched in horror as he lifted his scythe up and in the position for him to try and slice me.

"You don't need that fucking dress!," he said as he grinned down at me.

In a split second, he swung the scythe downward towards me and had cut through my dress from top to bottom. It then separated in half and exposed my black bra and undies, which brought him delight to see me in my undergarments.

"My my, that looks fucking interesting. This should be fucking fun, but I'll to dispose of those little clothes next," he said as he raised his weapon over his head again and prepared to go for another swing.

I was so terrified that I froze where I lied, my eyes grew huge and my mouth hung open, as I was also greatly speechless. I wanted to burst into tears because I couldn't figure out how to run away from this. They say that in dreams you don't get hurt or feel things, but that seemed like a lie because my opinion was that they felt all too real, and in this dream, I wasn't looking forward to what would happen next.

"C'mon Kat! You gotta fight your way out of this or you're gonna get raped in your own dream!," I said in my thoughts, trying to encourage my spirit to stand up and defend myself.

I had to come up with a defense move fast before this creep attempted to take advantage of me. My eyes were glued on him and his every movement. I couldn't blink or turn away, or I would be doomed. He began to have that crazed look in his violet eyes, which started me and it somewhat reminded me of Deidara, how he had that same expression when he talked about his art.

This would've been a good opportunity for him to pop out of nowhere and save me from all the trouble I was in. Unfortunately, he wasn't around, which made me sad because I would rather have had him come to my rescue than no one at all.

In no time at all, Hidan swung his scythe downward again, aiming for my bra and underwear. To his surprise however, I managed to swiftly throw my arms up and caught it by the blades, stopping it in its tracks. Being fast about these moves it a lot to consider if you want to survive these circumstances. I held on tightly and tried to press upward by the blades as he was struggling to push them closer to my body.

We were actually even by strength at this point. I was keeping the scythe from cutting my remaining clothes and he was seeking to rip them off my tender body. I wasn't sure who was going to win this but I sure knew I wasn't going to lie around and lose to him.

I made sure I had my hands firmly on the smooth sides of the blades and used all my strength to yank the scythe out of his hands and tossed them aside, hearing the sounds of it clanking against the floor far from us.

I sighed of relief once I knew the weapon was out of his reach. I even felt exhausted.

But suddenly, I felt my hands being grabbed and held together, as Hidan roughly pulled me up from my back and onto my feet. He was definitely angry by the way his sneered at me and he gritted his teeth against each other. My heart started beating faster out of fear that he was going to hurt me really badly.

Then he pulled out thick rope and wrapped it aggressively around my wrists, letting go of me afterwards, which caused me to fall on my side.

"You little bitch. You going to get fucking punished for that!," he growled as he whipped out his retractable spear from his cloak and raised it over me.

Without hesitation, he gave the first whack at my thigh, which left me with a sharp pain and a slit that began to leak a small amount of blood. It stung so bad that I whined and gritted my teeth to help control myself from screaming. I even clenched my hands into fists hoping it would help as well, but it wasn't the only time he planned to hit me.

After that first cut, he desired for more blood, so he swung at me several more times ruthlessly over every exposed part of my body, still with no reluctance. I held in my temptation to cry out loud out of sheer agony as he continuously slashed the spear onto the surface of my skin. I had to be strong and resist the urge to give in, though it was very difficult. I bit my bottom lip and clamped on tightly to keep my mouth shut, drawing little blood from where I dug my teeth in. I also raised my arms over my head as a shield to keep him from striking my face.

However, once I assumed he was finished and lowered my arms down to check, he sneaked another slash across my cheek, causing me to groan from the intense pain.

I watched in horror as he lifted the point of the spear to his face and slowly licked up the blood that was left on it, showing a sense of enjoyment from the taste of my blood. I knew then, that this guy was over the top insane and he was after me, whether it was a dream or reality. I was stunned in fear and uncertainty filled my mind as to how I would ever escape from this monster that stood before my painful body, grinning maliciously over at my suffering face.

Tears steadily rolled down my cheeks as I silently peered up at him in shock. He chuckled at my scared face expression and kneeled down over me as my body was shaking feebly from close distance from me, still grinning deeply.

"Look at you, you're shaking like a fucking leaf. But that's okay, because now I'll get to claim what's going to be fucking mine," he said as he gently licked the blood off of my cheek and my lips, making me tense my body until it was very stiff.

"W-What do you w-want from m-me…? Why are y-you doing this t-to me…?!," I stuttered while demanding to know his true intensions for me.

He was silent for several seconds and his grin grew deeper. I could see the lust in his purple eyes as he gazed down and met his eyes with mine, which startled me greatly. Then he grabbed my chin and forcefully lifted it up so he could make me look straight at him.

"I'm going to take you whether you fucking like it or not and you will one day join me under the eyes of Lord Jashin. I will fucking make you mine forever!," he said crazed as he turned my head to the side so he could go down and glide his tongue along my neck, giving me shivers throughout my body.

I lightly moaned unwillingly from the strange yet pleasurable feeling of it.

Then unexpectedly, I felt a sudden sharp pain as it felt like his teeth were sinking into my neck, penetrating the skin deep enough. I finally let out a loud shrill of pain as I felt the excruciating ache rush through my body. Where he bit me began to violently throb as I felt my blood running down to the back of my neck. It was extremely unbearable and I cried frantically for Hidan to stop. I even swung my tied arms out and tried to beat him off of me.

"Kat. Katana. Katana! Hmm," I heard someone yelling close to me.

Thoughtlessly, I kept my eyes closed and swung my arms out, feeling that I was beating on something or someone. I felt them grab me by my upper arms and shook me forcefully.

"Katana. Kat wake up. Wake up! Hmm," the familiar voice urged me to do so.

I flew my eyes wide open and saw a terribly worried Deidara looking frightful at me. I darted each corner of my surroundings, checking where I was then. I was back in my bedroom and Deidara was by my side again.

I peered over at him to see he was fixed on my face, appearing uneasy as his eye became soft and concerning, frowning in addition.

"Kat, what's wrong? What happened? Hmm," he asked me solemnly.

I touched my neck, felt nothing there, then I glanced at my hands and saw nothing else. I looked back at Deidara and felt my eyes suddenly become moist. Overwhelmed with relief and sadness, I threw myself on him and laid my head against his warm bare chest, weeping from gladness.

I was so happy that he was there and that what I had experience wasn't real, although it felt that way. I felt him wrap his arms around me after a minute of him staring confusedly at me and held me tightly. I trembled in his arms from the thought of the horrible dream I had to undergo, gently gripping his skin. I was more fearful of Hidan than before and I was not looking forward to seeing his face ever again.

"Deidara… I was so scared…," I could only say as I continued to heavily sob on his chest.

He sighed and placed his chin on top of my head.

"It was only a nightmare, but it's okay now. I'm here. Hmm," he said softly, comforting me as he held my body firmly in his arms.

I realized it was crazy for me to have somewhat thrown myself towards Deidara, of all people for support knowing how much I still slightly despised him, but he was the only one who happened to be there and who was willingly to help me feel better.

He was by my side after all.


	15. Chapter 14: An Unexpected Visit

***Note: I am sorry for the delay everyone! March was pretty busy for me, spring break I went to Disney World with my family (Which was as awesome as last time!), after that I started looking for a job and then there were some birthdays near the end of the month. Also my artist block was lifted for a while so I took that time to draw while I thought about what more to put in this chapter, but now i'm done and am actually gonna start the next one soon! Until then, enjoy chapter 14! :D Thank you for your patience.***

*Chapter 14: An Unexpected Visit*

I cried for the rest of the night, which made it harder for Deidara to help soothe my nerves from the nightmare I had of Hidan plotting to come after me. It was difficult to allow him to, since I also winced every time he gently touched me, so I felt like pushing him away. I couldn't go back to sleep, believing that the bad dream would repeat itself.

What's more, on that very morning, I decided to get up early and seclude myself in the living room while Deidara was sleeping, eager to clear my mind of those bad thoughts. I inhaled deeply and exhaled the same amount as I stared blankly out the window. I pulled the curtains apart so I could shed some light while I tried to think. I didn't want to sit in the dark again.

I practically rocked myself side to side on the love seat, pondering over what I would do if Hidan actually attempted to take me away and make me his woman. I could see that he would be a tough opponent along with Kakuzu just from remembering the fight between them and Team Eriku. The members of the Akatsuki possessed unnatural power, they were all S-Ranked criminals in their own unique ways and battling with them can be agonizingly unimaginable.

Although in the last battle, I never witnessed them using their special abilities or going all out, probably because they didn't plan on wasting their energy on us, for now. From hearing Hidan talk about sacrifices and this "Lord Jashin", I predicted that he performed some kind of cult rituals using that scythe of his or even the spear, but I wasn't exact on what he really does or what he used those weapons for. I shivered from the thought of the possibilities.

I knew nothing about this Jashin religion of his and I honestly didn't want to find out either. I didn't desire to become like him or be with him. I was afraid of him and if he ever got a hold of me again, my life would certainly be over, if I didn't try to fight back with all my might. What if he was insane enough to search for where I lived or stalked me from a distance while I was simply minding my own business? Since he had a taste of my blood, would he use that to track me down once he got the chance? Why would he want me if he tried to kill me once? It didn't make any sense. I just prayed that he never found my location anywhere I went. I could only rely on that prayer for hope.

I buried my face into the palm of my hands and started whimpering yet again. Tears leaked from my eyes and landed in my hands as I wept from the fear of getting stolen and hurt by a guy who was menacing, attached to this religious cult and indeed insane.

I heard a door open and close, but I ignored it as I continued to sob in the living room all alone. My mind was clouded with strong miserable emotions that my focus on my surroundings didn't matter at the moment.

"Katana, are you okay? Hmm," Deidara questioned me with a concerned tone in his voice.

I halted my crying for a while to peer up at him, noticing how worried he looked. He was also still in his boxers, which made me blush since I could see him in the light of day like that, so I turned my head to face the other way as I raised one hand to cover the side of my face that was closer to him.

"Nothing, it's nothing. But did you really have to come out without pants on at least?," I sniffled slightly annoyed.

I heard him chuckle and imagined him with that grin across his face.

"I'm sorry, I had forgotten 'cause I wondered how you were feeling. Hmm," he answered as I heard his footsteps coming closer towards me, then he sat right next to me on the loveseat, "You were whimpering all night and there were moments when you resisted my attempt to comfort you. Hmm."

I could feel the warmth of his bare thigh as it rubbed against mine, which made me more nervous being near him. My cheeks felt flushed and I knew that making eye contact with him would increase the chances of me possibly fainting in front of him. I doubted that I would pass out just like that, but I imagined it could happen. As a pre-caution, I continued to shield my face with my hand.

Besides that, he sounded like he was actually concerned about my well-being. I did feel guilty that I bothered him with my crazy episodes while he was supposed to sleep last night. I was sure there was no way to ignore either, even if he wanted to. I believed I needed to apologize for my rude interruptions.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep and even now I'm still greatly bothered."

"It's alright, but bothered by what exactly? Hmm," he wondered.

I removed my hand and placed it on my lap as I remained staring at the other direction.

"Honestly, it's difficult to explain. I don't wanna talk about it either or I might not ever get over it," I told him, hoping he'd understand.

"I'm sorry but that's not an excuse for me. Hmm. You gotta tell me what happened," he demanded calmly.

I should've guessed that his stubbornness was the one thing that wouldn't change his mind and I couldn't avoid, even in my state. In a different scenario, I would've gladly complied with his request and everything could've ran smoothly as I imagined it, but because I wasn't fully trusting him because of many good reasons, I felt like it wasn't wise to tell him all of my personal problems. Although, last night was no excuse, since I dramatically poured my emotions out about the situation from the past with him. So if I had told him about this nightmare, would it have made any difference?

"I can't. Besides, how do I know I can trust telling you my problems? You'll probably just either tune me out or make fun of me for it."

"You did last night, when you told me about how you truly felt about me betraying my village. Hmm," he recalled, "I listened to everything you said and I understood how much you suffered through these years. What difference does it make not telling me now? Hmm."

Damn he got me there. It was like he read my thoughts real easily like a book. I might as well have spoken the truth since he wasn't going to give up anyways, so I sighed briefly, turned my head to face him and prepared to deliver my explanation.

"I had a nightmare, obviously, but this nightmare had a particular person who might have begun to haunt me, starting with last night," I said without much detail on the individual.

He arched an eyebrow curiously.

"Really? Who is it? Hmm," he asked, giving an expression like he knew who I was referring to.

Saying that fearful name in my mind gave me chills down my spine. My lips quivered at the thought of speaking his cursed name, but I had to spit it out eventually. Again, Deidara wasn't planning on changing his mind.

"H-Hi-Hidan…," I stuttered the name past my lips, peering down at the floor disappointedly.

"What? That bastard was the problem even in your dreams?! Hmm," he growled.

I nodded shortly with my eyes remaining faced the other way.

From that tone in his voice, he seemed pretty angry. I knew he'd flip out once I told him who it was. What was worse was that Hidan was in the same organization as him, so residing in the same hideout could now cause more tension between the two and could cause a brawl against each other. But that was only if Deidara was really that concerned about me, but from what I noticed about him lately, he does seem to show some signs, although it could be all an act to fool me.

That gave me an unsteady sense of relief.

"I swear, one of these days I will get him for harming you this way. You just wait and see. Hmm," he said solemnly, clenching his hands into fists on his lap.

I focused my view towards the clean floor, feeling as fearful as I was several hours ago. But then, something inside wasn't right. It was hard to explain but it felt like I wanted to release all my worries through a simple hit with my fists. Like I desperately desired vengeance for what they did to me, but especially to my friends from the Sand Village. I clenched them on my lap and shook my head as I quickly thought of what I had to do.

"No. If anyone is going to take him down, I will do it myself," I told Deidara seriously, "He's more of my problem than yours."

When I turned my head to face him, he seemed rather surprised at my response. Perhaps he never expected me to stand up for myself, since I used to rely on him and the others all the time in the past. Not this time however.

"Kat, you can't be serious. How would you be able to accomplish that on your own? Hmm," he wondered with a hint of doubt in his voice.

I gave him a small glare.

"Are you trying to say I'm not capable of taking him on?," I questioned.

"Well sure you can try to fight him, but to defeat him by yourself? That's more like suicide if you ask me. Hmm," he responded with a cocked eyebrow.

I gritted my teeth as I felt annoyed of him implying that I wasn't strong enough to take down the guy. Did he really have no confidence in me? Does he think everyone holds my hand every time I'm on an assignment or when I'm battling against someone? I got up from my place and stood before him with an angry expression on my face.

"Do you think I'm still that helpless little girl I used to be when we were younger?! I'm sick of everybody believing I'm not able to defend myself or incapable of handling tasks big or small! I can do all those things, I'm not a baby anymore!," I exclaimed towards him, pursing my lips and felt a sweep of emotions fill my mind.

Deidara kept silent after that outburst. His visible eye was stunned by my anger. The corner of my eyes wanted to tear up, but I had to be tough about this argument. I didn't want to keep crying about my problems anymore. It just wasn't worth it.

"I fought Takuna the other day during my previous mission," I added, "I nearly defeated her, until she paralyzed my teammate and attempted to kill him with one of her wind jutsus. In order to save him, I pushed him out of the way and jumped in front of her jutsu's path, blowing me across the forest until I was positive that I was far from my team's location. That's when I got caught by Hidan and Kakuzu's trap and was forced into becoming their prisoner. When my team found us, we had to fight the Akatsuki members, but the majority of us were injured because of Hidan. We were lucky because if Kakuzu didn't call off the fight at the last minute, my teammates would've been seriously left for dead, but I did what I could to help them with my medical ninjutsu. They were my first priority, but don't you see? I can take care of myself just fine, meaning if I had another chance, I would take down Hidan once and for all!"

He shifted his eyebrows to give that serious look, like "you must be an idiot" kind of look as he stood up and peered down at me, meeting his blue eye with mine.

"Katana, you're still not comprehending the reason why I say it's impossible to kill Hidan. Hmm. It sounds like you're in danger every time and going against him would ensure your death. Hmm," he said slightly angered by my dispute.

"Seriously, Deidara?! You really don't believe I can do it?!," I questioned with a growl.

"That's not what I meant. Hmm," he said trying to calm down the situation.

"Then what do you mean by that? Explain why you think I can't beat Hidan," I demanded as I absent-mindedly shoved him, causing him to jerk backwards a bit.

"If you can't beat me then what makes you think you can defeat him?! Hmm," he snapped at me.

Blown back by his response, I was left cold and still as a statue. My eyes were wide and my arms were dangling by my sides like there was no life in them. My knees became weak and I was definitely speechless. He was right. As much as I wanted to deny it, there wasn't a way to prove that it was false. I certainly knew that.

I couldn't beat Deidara the first time he returned and we didn't even do much fighting then. He took me down faster than Naruto can scarf down multiple bowls of ramen. I wasn't sure if I could even lay a scratch on him if we did a legit battle. Half of me said yes while the other said no.

Deidara sighed as he narrowed his eyes at me, "Besides, even if you had the upper-hand against Hidan, you won't be able to kill him because he's-!"

The doorbell rang as he was about to spit out what he wanted to say, so he discontinued his sentence. Awkwardly, I snapped back into focus and walked up to the front door to check through the peephole. It appeared to be just some girl at first from behind, but when they turned around, I was in a state of shock and immediately rushed up to Deidara.

"Oh my god! It's her," I said worryingly.

He looked confused at my reaction.

"Who? Why are you freaking out like that? Hmm," he asked.

"It's my sister Atsuko! She's outside my door," I whispered loudly.

Then it finally clicked in his head which sister I was talking about.

"Uh oh," he only said as he appeared worried himself.

"Uh oh is right! If she sees you, we're both busted. Severe punishments will be enforced upon us! Who knows what they'll do to me and I'm not ready to find out! You need to hide quickly," I warned him as I shoved him forward towards my bedroom.

"Ah! Stop pushing me so roughly. Hmm," he said.

"Shut up and just get in there and hide. And put some pants on while you're at it," I commanded him as I opened my bedroom door and pushed him inside, closing the door behind him without looking at him.

I breathed in and breathed out deeply as I carefully walked up to the front door, undid the locks and slowly opened the door, which revealed my little sister Atsuko Himura standing with her arms crossed.

"Atsuko, what an unexpected surprise," I greeted, trying to forget that I have a wanted criminal hiding in my apartment.

"How so Kat?," she asked inquisitively.

Atsuko was my first sister and first sibling in my family. She was a little taller than me, had long lighter brown hair, though it was shorter than mine, with hazel eyes like our father's and she was way more focused and intelligent than me. She was unique compared to the rest of us because she was one of the few people around who possessed wind as their nature chakra. It was a rare type of nature chakra around here and she happened to be born with it, while the rest of the children in our family were born with fire nature, which is why our mother acknowledged her the most. She wore her short loose purple shirt with her midriff showing, though she had bandages wrapped around her stomach, wore tight light blue capris pants and had her hair up in a ponytail.

"Well, I didn't expect anyone to see me today," I answered as she made her way into the apartment without my permission.

As she entered the living room, I began to feel uneasy already, mainly due to the fact that Deidara was hidden somewhere in the next room. I prayed that she wouldn't become too curious and decide to examine my entire apartment.

"Mom wanted me to come over to check up on you. On my way, I found Hana walking through the market district and she told me how you were in the hospital, twice this month to be exact because you suffered from certain injuries," she explained as she sat down at the loveseat couch and looked around her surroundings.

"Damn it Hana! Why did you have to open your big mouth," I thought to myself.

I went into the living room after closing and locking the front door and sat at the three seat couch across from Atsuko.

"As you can see, I'm fine now. It was nothing major," I told her while trying to sound assuring.

But from the arched eyebrow she gave me and by the way she darted my shoulder wound, she didn't buy it. I should have worn a shirt with sleeves if I had known anyone was visiting me.

"Then what's up with that shoulder wound? It looks painful and deep," she pointed out.

I glanced over it and lightly glided my fingers on the surface of the stab wound. It felt dry and uneven as it was still trying to heal overtime. I didn't know how long it would be until it was better again, but it started to hurt less now. But the hip wound I also had was still stinging a bit and it felt weird having stitches in my skin. But eventually I'll be able to remove them once the wound is healed enough.

"It's a long story," I simply said, hoping I didn't need to explain the story to her.

"Did you receive any other injuries?," she asked as she checked me from head to toe.

I remembered the hip gash again, but I wanted to keep it to myself. Telling this sister about my situations usually turn out pretty bad with my parents.

"Nope," I lied.

She shrugged her shoulders and continued to scan my living room with her eyes.

"You have a decent place here Katana. I actually didn't believe this living room could be so clean," she complimented.

"Thanks. I really try to keep it that way," I told her.

"I think I wanna check out the rest of the place," she said as she stood up and began to head towards my bedroom.

Beginning to panic in my mind, I jumped up from my seat and rushed by her side, almost blocking her from my bedroom door.

"Wait Atsuko, aren't you thirsty? I mean, you must've worked up a thirst from all that walking from the house to here," I tried to distract her with refreshments.

"Now that you say that, I could use a drink of water," she said as she gently tapped her index finger on her cheek and glanced at the kitchen.

"Good, I'll get you a glass of water!," I told her as I grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the kitchen and allowed her to sit on a chair at the table.

Then I went, grabbed a glass cup from the cupboards and poured some tap water from the sink in the glass. Once it was filled enough, I took it and gave it to my patient sister, who nodded thank you to me when she received the glass and took a sip.

I was in the clear for now. I even sighed of relief while she wasn't looking.

After she finished the glass of water, she put it in the sink and decided to still head towards my bedroom.

"I wanna check out your bedroom Kat. I wonder what it looks like in there," she said as she got closer to the door.

I swear I wanted to have a panic attack. I couldn't allow her to enter my room unaware that Deidara was here as well. If she caught him, the both of us would be in deep trouble. The possibility was that Atsuko would most likely tell my parents, for which my parents would tell someone else of a higher rank and then the village would learn that I was harboring an Akatsuki member in the village in my apartment. The news would quickly spread to the Hokage and she would become greatly furious and disappointed that one of her own apprentices was keeping a criminal a secret. We would both be sent to prison and would be interrogated by Ibiki Morino here in the Leaf Village, who is the best in the business for making people crack information in only a few minutes. I would become a disgrace to my family and my village. Definitely wasn't looking forward to any of that.

"Now h-hold on just a minute! Don't you need to do something? Like go to the store or maybe check on a friend or even go back home?," I asked her as I blocked the door.

She was puzzled by my movements and my questions.

"What do you mean? What's going on? Why are you acting strange?," she quizzed me with a troubling expression as she would glance at my door.

"Oh it's, it's nothing. It's just I figured maybe you had other things to do besides distract yourself by looking through my apartment," I clarified as half a lie.

I wanted her to leave already and pick another time to come and visit. Deidara was here and his discovery would mean death for me. She seemed more confused at my excuse and she wasn't sure what to do next with me in the way.

"Actually, I'm supposed to go to the hospital to practice my medical ninjutsu, but I don't need to be checked in for another hour," she answered.

"But, maybe you should check in early. Perfect attendance is always good," I suggested getting nervous.

She stood still for a moment to think about my suggestion and met her hazel eyes with mine.

"Hmm, nah. I still got an hour. Besides, it's not that far away," she said as she pushed me out of the way and opened the door to my bedroom.

My eyes grew huge from the sight of her entering my room. I didn't know where Deidara hid but I had to act fast and prevent my sister from finding him. I rushed inside and watched her as she scrolled her eyes all over the room. Then he turned to face me with a smirk.

"My my Kat, I didn't even think you'd keep your bedroom neat and clean either," she commented as she seemed astonished that my room was nice and fixed, free of any kind of mess or dust.

Nervously looking at my bed, I noticed the black cloak with red clouds folded neatly on the surface of the bed and the anti-stone village headband lying on top of it. Next to it was the eye scope Deidara used for long range scouting. Then suddenly it hit me like a dodge ball to my face. It was Deidara's gear lying visibly on my bed and Atsuko could've seen it at any moment.

With panic mode increasing inside of me, I peered at the items with a shocked look on my face and I bit my bottom lip kind of hard. So as a drastic measure, I hopped on the bed in a New York minute and landed on top of Deidara's belongings, hiding it from Atsuko underneath my body face down. When I felt they were securely hidden from any chance of spotting them, I lifted my head up and turned slowly to see my sister, who had the most quizzical expression on her face. Then I realized I must have looked like an idiot jumping on the bed for no reason, though there was one, but she would never know that. I pursed my lips as we had an awkward staring contest with each other.

"What are you doing Katana?," she questioned peculiarly.

I froze briefly as I attempted to come up with another lie. I hate lying about many subjects and especially lying to the ones close to me, but because my life and Deidara's was on the line here and if I told her of all people, she would rat us out to the officials in an instant. I paused in deep thought.

"I-I… I was just, demonstrating how bouncy my bed was. See? Very jumpy," I said as I hopped in place using my elbows to shortly push up while I still lied down.

I also had to keep the items hidden underneath me while I made myself look silly. Never again was I going to embarrass myself like that, even in front of my own siblings just to save my butt from certain punishment.

"Okay? Whatever," she disregarded.

While she was turned away and distracted by seeing some of my pictures I had hanging on one of my walls, I hastily peered down at the items and pulled them from under me, shoving them underneath my bed sheets roughly and brushed the sheet neatly on top. I got up carefully and made sure nothing was revealing.

"That was a close one," I sighed of relief.

From a distance, I suddenly heard something bubbling, also mixed with a loud growl. Then I heard a groan coming from Atsuko. When I turned my head to see what she was doing, I saw her grasping her stomach and slightly bent over.

"Atsuko, are you alright?," I asked concerned about her.

I took a few steps closer to approach her and laid my right hand on top of her shoulder.

"My stomach hurts… Where's the bathroom?," she said as she silently moaned.

She didn't sound too good. I wasn't sure whether she needed to take a number two or if she needed to throw up. Maybe she had food poisoning or was coming down with a sickness. I lifted my left hand and placed it gently on her forehead to feel if she had a fever. It was warm, but not severe enough to consider it as a sickness.

"It's right there. Don't stink up my bathroom though," I joked with her as she practically ran up to the restroom door, quickly opened it, and then slammed the door shut.

She had to have forgotten I was even standing there and that was my door she nearly broke. Oh well, she needed to take care of her business and fast. I sat on the edge of my bed and intertwined my fingers together, placing them on my lap as I waited for Atsuko to finish her restroom business. When I glanced at the bathroom door, something snapped in my brain, and it wasn't a good thing.

In a short couple of minutes, I realized that when I pushed Deidara in the room, I didn't get to see or even discuss with him on where to hide while I tried to sidetrack my sister, so he really could be anywhere. Even in the one place I sent her to.

Unexpectedly, I heard Atsuko give a shriek of fear inside the restroom, alerting me and causing me to shoot up in a jolt. I stood straight and saw the door fly open. She had a terrified look on her face and she was breathing rapidly. I had never seen her so scared in my life.

"Katana! I saw-!," she said, slightly shaking in her voice.

This was it. She caught Deidara and she caught me in the act. There was no escaping my penalty now. As a responsible kunoichi of our village, it would be her duty to report any suspicious activities and this was definitely in that category. I wanted to fall on my knees and start bawling right in front of her, begging for forgiveness from my own little sister.

"A-Atsuko, I-I can explain…," I stuttered and ended with a deep gulp.

My hands and legs were shaking from the guilt. I raised my hands up, gesturing to help calm down the situation.

"There's a mouse scurrying across the floor!," she shouted as she pointed furiously at the bathroom floor.

"Huh?," I was extremely confused.

It wasn't registering in my mind at that moment. My brain was scrambled and my emotions were out of whack.

"Did you say there's a mouse?," I asked as I arched an eyebrow.

"Come see for yourself!," she said as she backed away from the doorway.

I obeyed her and cautiously walked into the bathroom, scanning around for the little critter. I was still puzzled in the back of my mind, wondering if she really said that. I turned around and peered at her uncomprehendingly.

"You said mouse, right?," I asked her again for a confirmation.

"Yes I said mouse! What are you, deaf?," she told me rudely.

She was probably still shaking from the sight of the small animal. When I was inside long enough, it started to smell awful. It was difficult to breathe in there. I covered my nose with my hand to prevent myself from suddenly passing out.

"Geez Atsuko, you need to lay off the cheese," I said disgustedly.

"Pardon me! Oh my god there it is!," she shouted as she pointed down at the white tiled floor.

A little grey mouse quickly crawled out of a corner and sat still for a few minutes. Slowly, I bent down on my knees, carefully reached out my hands and waited for the animal to crawl on. Eventually after a couple of minutes, it finally decided to climb in my hands after sniffing my fingers first. I stood up carefully and held the mouse delicately, beginning to adore the small mammal.

"Aw, it's cute. Look Atsuko, isn't it adorable?," I said as I showed the mouse to her.

She hesitated as she saw the animal crawling around and eying her. Then she shuttered and back away once more.

"Ew, get rid of it Katana!," she begged as she ran out of the room.

I giggled to myself and headed for the front door, where I exited the apartment, walked down the steps and once I arrived to the grassy dirt ground, I kneeled down and allowed the little grey creature to scurry away.

"Good bye little fella. Have a safe trip," I told it as it crawled away in haste.

I returned to the apartment and saw my sister standing there with a disapproval expression.

"What?," I said questionably.

"Nothing. You should make sure to keep every room in check. That was disgusting," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Whatever," I shrugged my shoulders.

I was unfazed by her remark. I usually didn't care what she said.

"Well, I gotta go already. I need to check in at the hospital before Lady Tsunade and Ms. Shizune become impatient. Also gotta make sure Shiori doesn't beat me there," she said as she dropped her arms down to her sides and began heading for the front door.

Shiori Kusumoto was her best friend since they were enrolled in the Ninja Academy. Her house was close to our family house and so her and my sister used to walk to the school together and would even train together. Sometimes, they would be fine with certain things and others would become slightly overboard, mainly on Shiori's part, which is how Atsuko described it, although I never found out what she meant by that. I was uncertain on whether or not I wanted to find out. I assumed they were competitive against each other when it came down to perfect attendances, since Shiori used to be late to the academy all the time. Now she's trying hard not to be late to their medical training.

"Oh I see. How is Shiori anyway? Still as clumsy and unreasonable?," I wondered.

I hadn't seen her in quite a while, so I was curious about her progress in life itself.

"Unfortunately yes," she answered as she made it to the door and waited patiently for me to unlock it.

At first I wasn't paying attention to her gestures towards the door, until finally I snapped back into reality and quickly undid all the locks, opening it for her.

"I'll see you later Kat. Take care of yourself," she said.

"Yeah, you too," I said awkwardly.

Then we stared at each other bizarrely, unsure of what to do next, but then Atsuko strolled out the door and paused to turn around and glance back at me. I couldn't help but simply waved farewell to her at least. She then oddly smiled back at me, did a short wave and headed forward towards the stairs. I shut the door and locked everything back into its place.

It was always so weird to bid farewell to my sisters. We never gave each other a hug good bye and gave cheerful good byes like most siblings. We were somehow different, maybe because we were growing apart. Every time I saw a happy group of siblings, brothers and sisters, young and old, showing kindness, contentment and just plain grateful for having each other's company, it makes me slightly sick yet sad at the same time. Sometimes, I wished we were more loving to each other than we were now, always fighting or being awkward around one another. We were even the same with our parents, because my mom would overreact about little things and my dad usually doesn't care. Why couldn't we be a better family?

After I was positive the coast was clear, I hurried to my bedroom and started checking certain spots, searching for wherever Deidara was hiding. My first guess was under the bed. A lot of people always like to choose that location because it's the quickest place to conceal yourself, though it's also the easiest place to find someone as an instinct. I kneeled down and peeked into the semi dark opening, scrolling my eyes around every corner. No sign of Deidara there.

I stood up and glanced at the bathroom. Though Atsuko came out and only found the mouse inside, I was sure he might've used some type of blending jutsu to hide himself. So I went inside and darted each wall, then finally realizing how stinky it smelled in there because of my sister's private business. I doubted that Deidara could hold his nose for that long.

I quickly left and closed the bathroom door shut, planning to spray it down and clean it later. I scanned my entire room with my eyes and found no one anywhere. It was strange.

"Where could he have gone to?," I said in thought, "Could he have left out the window?"

No way. The window seal had remained locked, plus his stuff was still lying on my bed and he wouldn't have left it behind. In fact, he wouldn't have left without telling me either. Soon, I was lost. I didn't know where else to turn to. I was about to think that he was very good at concealing himself. Then when I glanced at my closet door, light bulb!

He had to be hiding in there. So I walked up to the door, carefully twisted the doorknob and opened it cautiously, hoping he wouldn't pop out and scare me at any moment. I would hate him forever if he did that to me.

I switched on the light inside the closet and began looking around. Being a walk-in closet, it was difficult to find anything with all my clothes and other junk crowded on both sides. I was worried I wouldn't be able to spot Deidara at all. I moved and checked the floor, even underneath the hanging shirts. No sign of him.

"Where is that boy?," I said to myself as I turned around and faced the doorway.

I was about to walk out of the closet when I felt something wrap around my waist. I was stunned when I was pulled back close to something warm behind me. When I looked down to see what it was, a pair of strong arms were there in place. I sighed of disappointment that I was startled by his sneakiness.

"Missed me? Hmm," Deidara whispered in my right ear.

"You know, you need to cut that crap out. Sneaking up on me like that…," I commented in an undertone, sounding slightly annoyed.

I could feel him grinning against my ear. Now that we were safe from exposure, a rush of relief flushed through my body. But because I thought about him, I also thought about our argument earlier, before Atsuko came over for a visit. I believed I could handle myself and beat up anyone who challenged me, but after that bickering, I wasn't confident enough anymore. I felt like I was truly weak after all.

"Deidara?"

"Hmm?," he hummed questionably.

I paused before continuing what I was about to say, making sure I was clear with what was right to ask him.

"Do you really think I'm weak?," I asked him lowly, waiting for an answer.

There was a long awkward silence between us. When he didn't speak fast enough, I thought it was true. I frowned to myself and it seemed like I was going to cry in front of him again.

"I'm sorry if I said it like that earlier. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything. I was just…," he paused when he inhaled and exhaled a large amount of breath, "I was just looking after you because, I don't want you to get hurt again. Hmm."

I was very surprised that he was saying that, even in a tone where it seemed like he was meaning every word he let pass his soft lips. When he stopped, the touch of his light breath against my ear tingled through my body. His grip became tighter around me, but not to where I could suffocate. In fact, I kind of liked it like this, though it felt weird.

"But you really don't know what I'm capable of. We never really fought each other before," I clarified.

"Hmm, that's true. I can't really say how strong you are until we've done a good battle. Hmm," he said.

Then I got an idea. Why not issue a fight to see how skilled we really are? It would be the perfect opportunity to prove how strong I can be to him. Showing off my strength and jutsus will be amazing. I unwrapped his arms from my waist and turned around to face him with a confident look.

"Then let's settle it once and for all. Let's have a one on one battle against each other, outside and far from the Leaf Village, basically in between the Leaf and the Sand Village. What do you say?," I told him.

He looked puzzled at my request. He wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"A battle? With you? Hmm," he repeated to try and understand.

"Yes!," I replied, "Unless you think I can beat you."

He then smirked and chuckled in his throat.

"Yeah right! Like you'll be able to lay a finger on me. You're on. Hmm," he accepted the challenge willingly.

"Alright, but if I win, you'll have to take me out for dinner and pay for the food," I smirked at him, confident that I will beat him that time.

"What? Are you serious? Hmm," he questioned shockingly.

"Is there a problem? Is that the sound of defeat I hear?," I teased, gesturing by placing my ear behind my ear and pretending to listen in.

"Ha! As if. Hmm. Okay then, but if I win, you're going to have to pay for the food. Hmm," he said.

"Ugh great," I said in a groan.

"And a kiss on the cheek," he added, grinning deeply at me as he pointed at his right cheek.

"WHAT?!," I shouted greatly appalled by his demand.

My eyes even grew very wide and my jaw dropped to the ground.

"That's right, if you lose, you're paying for the food and giving a kiss on my cheek. Hmm," he repeated for me.

He seemed to be getting pleasure from seeing my reaction to that part of his deal. That was something I didn't bargain for.

"Y-You can't be serious!," I said defensively as my cheeks were flushed.

"Oh but I am. Hmm. Is there a problem? Do I hear the sound of defeat in your voice? Hmm," he messed with me.

Damn that guy. He really did it this time. But he got me trapped and there was no way out of it. I had to agree and just try to take him down.

"Ugh fine…," I said in defeat as I raised my hand out and waited for him to grab and shake on the bet.

"Then it's settled. It's a deal. Hmm. However, we'll have to do the battle in a week or so, because after this short vacation the leader is expecting me to be doing some missions that will take quite a while to do. Hmm," he explained as he shook on it.

"Alright then, I understand," I accepted with a nod of approval.

"Until then, I'll be looking forward to that kiss. Hmm," he teased with a wink and a grin.

"Oh brother," I said in an undertone as I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest.


	16. Chapter 15: Zephyrus' Return

*Chapter 15: Zephyrus' Return*

A few more days had passed by and I still had a couple of bad dreams with Hidan then and there, but Deidara managed to comfort me in the end. He stayed at my apartment for the remaining few days, until he had to leave on the third night. We never reminded each other about Hidan after that.

Before he took off through my bedroom window as usual, he continued to tease me about the bet we made the other night about us fighting. The thought of it was embarrassing. I didn't want to be defeated and have to not only pay for the food all by myself, but give him a kiss too? Boy, I was going to dread it.

This only meant that I needed to create a battle strategy for myself if I was planning on beating him at this bet. A lot work was in need to be done before that time. But since we have no clue exactly when we'll be doing this, he told me he would write a letter ahead of time so I could prepare and get permission to leave the village for a while. I might as well tell Lady Tsunade that I'd be heading to my Cousin Sabia Baliko's house in the Hidden Sand Village. I could inform Deidara and let him know that I'd be staying there for a day or two, and then afterwards, we can do the fight in a secluded area, most likely in a field or a forest. Hopefully it all worked out.

The phone rang from the kitchen at around ten twenty-three in the morning the next day after Deidara left. I finished my breakfast, which was simply cereal and had washed all of my dishes, storing them in the rack to dry. After I quickly rubbed the red hand towel over my hands to dry them, I rushed up to the cordless phone and picked it up. When I pressed the green talk button, I placed it over my right ear and answered.

"Hello?," I said as calm and politely as usual.

"Kat! This is Hana. I have wonderful news," Hana said loudly over the phone.

Sometimes her wonderful news is usually everyone else terrible news. But it wouldn't hurt to find out about this time.

"What is it?," I asked curiously, trying not to sound anywhere near not amused.

"Zephyrus is supposed to return today at some time near noon!," she said excitedly.

I could hear her squeal to herself away from the phone, then she would apologize for her weirdness. I was surprised about that. Zephyrus was finally returning from her first S-Ranked mission, and it took several days for him to complete it. I was very glad and excited myself.

"Oh my god! He's coming back?," I repeated as a question for her.

"Yeah! This is so awesome! Me and a couple of others are gonna be meeting him up at the main gate before noon. You should come over as well Kat," she said sounding like she was demanding me.

I had to think about it for a few seconds. I remembered I had to go shopping for a new outfit for ninja assignments because my other one was destroyed and thrown away by the Akatsuki member Kakuzu during my last mission. Then I needed to get a few things from the grocery store and I had to see if my house needed cleaning. There was so much to do before I could see anybody.

"So can you?," she asked me.

"Um, yeah. I just need to get a few things before I arrive, so I'll try my best to get there in time."

"Alright then! See ya later," she bid farewell in a cheery tone and hung up first.

I clicked the end button and put the phone back in its dock. If I was going to meet my agenda at the appropriate times, then I needed to work as soon as possible. I didn't want to miss out on welcoming Zephyrus back to our home.

So I ran into my room, slipped out of my pjs and put on my casual red v-neck shirt and black skinny jeans. Instead of having my hair flow down, I fixed it up in a ponytail because I needed it out of my face for the day. I dug into my dresser and pulled out my make-up bag, unzipping it and taking out all my necessary make-up. I put on base powder, liquid liner, mascara and some blush. Then I finished it with light pink lip gloss and some perfume that smelled like cherry blossoms. It was one of my favorite scents, along with apple cinnamon and brown sugar vanilla.

When everything was set, I slipped on my sandals, grabbed my black purse and placed it over my shoulder. Then I went to the front door and left the apartment, heading for the clothing store first.

* * *

I was glad I managed to finish shopping for the day. I finally picked out the perfect new outfit and I just couldn't wait to put it on when the time came. I also grabbed a few things from the grocery store, which were basically milk, bread and eggs. When I checked the time at one of the markets, it was near noon and there was no time to go place my items back home. I had to hurry for Zephyrus' arrival.

I held my bags tightly, in hopes they weren't going to burst open and spill everywhere, braced myself and began running towards the direction of the Main Gate. It was slightly difficult to get through some of the crowds of people that rudely decided to stand and idol in the middle of the path, but I managed nonetheless. I had to cut corners and hop around them, which was a lot of work for me, especially with heavy bags in my hands. People need to learn to be courteous to others who wish to pass by.

After about ten to fifteen minutes, I finally made it to the Leaf Village Main Gate, with no major or minor disasters that time. Also, it was a good thing I was wearing a short sleeve shirt, because it covered up the shoulder wound I had. I didn't want anyone to see it and ask questions.

When I saw the backside of someone's long scarlet red hair, I automatically knew it had to be Hana standing and waiting. There were two other familiar people who stood with her and were having a conversation with her. I rushed up towards them and tried to get their attention through shouting and waving with my free hand.

"Hey Hana!," I called excitedly as I approached her.

She turned around curiously to see who it was and smiled brightly when she realized it was me.

"Oh Kat! You made it," she said gladly.

"Well barely. Due to the time consuming shopping and the traffic through the village, but I'm here," I said with a small chuckle.

"It's good that you are here," she agreed.

She wasn't wearing her usual ninja outfit that day, from what I observed. She was wearing a dark purple tank top with navy blue short shorts and beige flip flops. Her hair was straightened and down and her nails were painted with a clear coating of polish to make them shine. I turned my attention from her to check out the other two people and recognized them quickly.

"Oh hey Riko! Hey Luka. I didn't realize you guys would be the others Hana mentioned earlier," I greeted happily with a wave.

"What do you mean? We could never miss out on our good friend's return," the short light blonde haired Riko commented with a smirk.

Riko Maiya was one of Hana's original teammates. He usually acted weird and liked to act creepy like Zephyrus can, mainly when they're trying to be perverts. It was annoying for Hana and I to constantly knock them back into reality and away from the Women's Hot Spring Baths sometimes. For "skilled" shinobi, they tend to make themselves very obvious for us to catch them cold.

Though Zephyrus was more serious about his work and duty, Riko was more down to earth and would rather stay at home and relax than train and work on his jutsu, but because he knew that sitting like a couch potato was no option most times, he reluctantly trained and did what he needed to do. Also, he was a swordsman so training harder was a requirement, since you hardly see shinobi wield huge swords in the Leaf Village.

"Besides, I had nothing to do today anyways, so watching Zephyrus enter the village in victory should be interesting," the tan skinned dark brown haired Luka added.

Luka was the same age as my sister Atsuko and was in the same graduating class as her. She was the type of girl who liked to go out and have fun with friends as much as she can. However, she was also solemn about her duty and training, generally out in the training fields with a couple of others or alone and worked on her jutsu for however long she wanted. I wondered how much effort she'd put in her work, since she sometimes complained about training "too much".

"So what are in those bags Kat?," Hana asked me as she pointed at my shopping bags.

I glanced down at them before returning my attention to them.

"Oh, just a few things from the grocery store and a new outfit for training and missions," I answered.

"A new outfit? What happened to your other one?," Luka questioned curiously.

"It got destroyed on my last mission when I was teamed up with a few Sand shinobi. I was practically thrown everywhere and got beat up pretty bad," I said tranquilly.

"What? That's crazy. Plus, you were teamed with ninja from the Sand? How did the Hokage pull that off?," she wondered surprisingly.

"She suggested it as a new method of gaining experience by cooperating with ninja from a different village. By discussing and gaining the approval from the Kazekage, it was to show me how to work with foreign affairs when it came down to momentous situations. I assumed she did this because I was one of her apprentices, though I don't believe she has done that to Sakura yet," I explained as I gently placed my bags on the ground to let my hands relax for a while.

All three of them looked astounded at my explanation. Hana didn't know any of that, though she was there when I was in the hospital earlier and only learned of what injuries I received from the mission. I didn't want to give any more information about the previous assignment, because the only person I really discussed it with was Tsunade, but because she was the Hokage and the report of essential. The deep details were meant to be top secret, so I kept my mouth shut after that.

"Wow, that is unbelievable," Riko broke the silence, "But I guess I could expect that from the Hokage herself to be trying to let her baby birds fly on their own and explore the world."

"Well that was a weird way to compare it," I thought to myself.

"Guys! Check it out! It's Zephyrus!," Hana yelled and pointed forward towards the Main Gate entrance.

The rest of us paused and turned our heads to see if it was true. From what I saw at first, nothing but the forest was in my view, which sort of made me doubt her, but then shortly, I saw about three or four figures heading towards our direction slowly. I narrowed my eyes to get a better look from the distance, to check if it was really him and his team. Sure enough, as they got closer, it was them. Zephyrus had returned from his first S-Ranked mission alive and well.

A smile rose across my face as I watched him arrive past the entrance. When he and his team approached us, he peered down at all of us and gave a thumbs up with a wide smile.

"Mission complete," he only said.

"Yay Zephyrus!," Hana shouted as she jumped and threw her onto him, knocking him down on the ground on his back as she hugged him tightly and rubbed her cheek against his, much like how she usually did to me when I was injured or sick.

"I'm so glad you're okay! Not that I thought you could get really hurt or worse but it's just great that you came back in one piece!," she said loudly in an obnoxious tone.

"T-Thanks for worrying about me Hana," he said as he struggled to pull her off of him without upsetting her.

"Enough!," Luka said as she grabbed onto Hana and tossed her across the village fiercely.

All of us were shocked that Luka could do anything like that to one of our close friends without any sign of hesitation. Even I was surprised dramatically.

"There! Now that she's not smothering him, we can start preparing," she added as she glanced at each of us.

"Preparing? For what exactly?," I quizzed her with a puzzled expression.

She exchanged a cocked eyebrow towards me like as if I was brainless.

"You don't know? Hana planned a celebration for the success of Zephyrus' first S-Ranked mission once he returned to the village and now that he's here, we're gonna get to PARTY!," she said excitedly as she waved her hands above her head and pushed her hands up to "raise the roof".

I wondered if she had forgotten that she just tossed Hana over the Leaf Village out of sheer irritation that blinded her. You can't have a party without the party planner.

"You do realize you threw Hana into the sky and she's the one who's supposed to plan the party, right? Without her, there will be no party for you to get down and dirty," Riko reminded her.

She paused still smiling, as if she wasn't fazed by his response. It took a few minutes before she suddenly snapped back into reality and had realized what she had done wrong.

"Oh no! I did do that to her! Aw man aw man AW MANNNN! I need to find her right away! Don't worry Hana I'm coming!," Luka exclaimed frantically as she sprinted off away from us and into the village to search for Hana.

Riko chuckled and shook his head disappointedly.

"That girl," he said with a smirk, "Always trying to put partying over her duties."

"Who wouldn't?," one of Zephyrus' teammates said with a smirk.

"Touché," Zephyrus added as he got up and brushed off the dirt from his clothing.

Everybody then smiled and chuckled at the thought. After that, I felt like we needed to follow Luka and help her find Hana if we were going to celebrate Zephyrus' completion.

"I think we should help Luka and Hana out," I suggested, hoping the others would agree.

"I agree," Riko said as he hit his fist in the palm of his other hand, "If we're gonna have some fun in honor of our dear friend's success, then we need to work together."

Zephyrus told his teammates to go ahead to the Hokage's Office and give the report, which they agreed to and they departed together in haste. Then he joined Riko and I as I bent over and grabbed my shopping bags from the ground and prepared to leave.

"Ready to go?," Zephyrus asked with a smirk.

"You know it," I said returning the smirk, "But I need to go to my apartment and put up my groceries before they spoil."

"Alright, then we'll head there first," he said as we started walking to that direction.

When I glanced at him, I noticed the scratches and dirt he had on his clothes and body. Who knew what kind of things he did on the mission, perhaps highly dangerous tasks. It had to be crazy.

"Maybe later today I can give you a check-up at the hospital as well Zephyrus," I told him with a smile.

He looked down at me with a surprised expression, but then she smiled back and nodded his head.

"That's fine too. Maybe we can do that right after you get to your apartment, just to get it out of the way since we'll probably party all night," he said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"That'll be fine too," I approved gladly.

I was sure Luka would keep us up all night anyways with her wild party animal side anyways.


	17. Chapter 16: Remembering The Uchiha

*Chapter 16: Remembering The Uchiha*

The next day was basically a drag day for me. After partying for hours with my friends in honor of Zephyrus' first completed S-Ranked mission last night, I honestly didn't feel like leaving my apartment to do anything more. Relaxation sounded like bliss to me. Not to mention that a strong cold front came through the village in the early morning while I was asleep, so it was too cold to go outside.

But I knew something needed to be done inside my home at least. Although I already cleaned it earlier this week, I had the temptation to go into my bedroom and start organizing several of my belongings. And that's what I did.

I went into my closet and switched the light on so I could see inside the shortly once dark area. Having a walk-in closet and entering it while it was pitch black inside can be very creepy. Who knew what kind of things could pop out from behind my clothes and attempt to get me, kind of like how Deidara did before.

Now that I thought of him, I had to admit, I kind of missed him being here with me. At least he would keep me company when I really felt I was alone at the apartment. Also, I simply couldn't get over his nicely toned body he had. He definitely grew up pretty well since that last time when we were about fourteen. It just wouldn't escape my mind.

"Wait! What the hell am I thinking?!," I said to myself as I slapped my own cheek to snap out of it.

I had to focus on the reality of the matter. I couldn't allow myself to fall for someone like him, even though things between us got better than before. If I let my guard down, he could easily take advantage of me right off the back. But then again, he doesn't seem like he would do that to me again, in fact, it seemed like he recently had a change in heart. Okay, now I was thinking crazy talk.

It was difficult to decide which was true and which was false, due to the recent histories of our past and present events. Who knew what things the future had in store for us? But I had to be prepared for anything.

All that aside, I tried to concentrate on what to pull out and arrange. The first thing that came in view was a few shoe boxes that sat in a stack on top of each other on a built-in shelf. Uncertain of what they contained, I grabbed the first one that sat at the top, held it against my chest and took the lid off to check inside. It had a bunch of office supplies, such as pencils, ink and brushes, paper, notecards, tape, etc. I was sure I was going to use those in the future, so I placed the lid back on, still held on to it, then I pushed the stack to the right side so I could place the other box in its spot.

Right after it did so, another box fell from the shelf and poured out its contents on the floor. I quickly peered down where the box fell and put the box that was in my grip to the side. Then I knelled down and examined the items from that particular box. From what it seemed like from the back of them, it appeared to be several photos lying face down. I carefully gathered them together and picked them up, flipping them over to see what was on the other side.

What I saw was very surprising. I had forgotten that they even existed and that I had them stored away for all those years. They were photos of me when I was a little girl with a boy who was about a couple years older than me. He had black hair, somewhat light skin and onyx colored eyes. When I remembered who it was standing and smiling in the photos with me, I started to frown.

"Itachi Uchiha," I said softly in a whisper.

I flipped through every picture and we were both in them from when we were younger, before when he was kind and fun to be around. After I finished looking through them, I glanced at the box again and noticed a piece of paper also lying on the floor. I gently placed the photos beside me and reached out to grab the paper, sliding it towards me until it was close enough for me to pick it up. It looked like it was folded four times and when I unraveled it, I missed by one fold too many. It was picture I drew of Itachi and I holding hands. I drew it at his house after he trained me. Of course, being a kid I couldn't draw very well, but it was sort of cute anyways.

I glanced and darted a medium sized brown teddy bear with a red bow around its neck that he got me for my tenth birthday, the age I was when he left the village as a criminal. I loved that bear to death, especially since Itachi got it for me. I had to store it away when I found out about the incident because it was hard to look at it without sadly reminding me of him.

I was just overwhelmed that I even saved these things over a long period of time. I would've thought that they'd disappear without a trace. Something slightly shiny caught my eye as I lowered the drawing on my lap. I reached my hand towards the sparkling item that twinkled like a star in the night, lightly put the tip of my middle finger on it and slid it towards my knees. I swear there were more surprised than I predicted. The item was a shiny charm of the Uchiha Clan symbol that had a piece of a thick string through the silver loop.

I stared at it with wide eyes, shocked that it was in my possession. That's when I began to remember something. When I recalled the first time I ever met Itachi Uchiha.

_I was about six years old at the time and Deidara had just turned seven before me. I was out on my own at the training grounds because I wanted to train by myself, but first I had to figure out which nature chakra I had. Being six, it was difficult to understand how to figure it out, so my father gave a small piece of paper made from a special tree that is able to react to one's chakra._

_From what I learned, if I had fire chakra, the paper would ignite and burn to ash. If I had wind chakra, the paper would split in half. If I had lightning, it would wrinkle up. If I had earth, the paper would turn to dirt and crumble away and if I had water, it would become wet or damp._

_I tried as hard as I could to figure out how to put my chakra into it, but I had a tough time doing so. I wanted to give up so badly. I was going to put the paper away and try later._

"_Hey," a voice greeted close to me._

_When I turned around to see who it was, I saw a boy, who was taller than me, with fair skin, short black hair that reached to his shoulders with bangs and had soft onyx colored eyes. He wore a black short sleeve shirt with a high collar and khaki shorts. He smiled in a friendly manner as he stood in front of me._

"_H-Hi," I said timidly as I lightly blushed._

_At that age, I was a very quiet and shy little girl. I rarely had my moments when I was outgoing or loud around anyone, even towards other children. The only kids I was able to break my shyness with was with Deidara and Zephyrus, so dealing with this big kid was even scarier. I know my parents have tried to get me to relax during certain situations, like meeting with strangers who were friends of theirs, but I simply couldn't help my bashfulness. Plus, he looked kind of cute to me._

"_Looks like you need help with whatever you're doing," he said as he darted the paper in my hands._

_I glanced down at it and returned my attention to him. He must've been watching me struggle for the past several minutes, brainstorming on how to flow my chakra through it so I could see what type of nature chakra I possessed._

"_W-Well, I don't know h-how to get m-my c-chakra onto this p-paper," I said coyly._

"_What do you mean? Are you trying to see what nature your chakra is?," he asked in an interested tone._

_I nodded quietly and couldn't make complete eye contact with him. I was too shy around him to make a proper conversation or even look at him right. He smiled gently at me anyways. He even chuckled a little bit at my behavior._

"_Well I can help, if you want," he offered kindly, "Do you have another piece of paper?"_

_I nodded, dug into my beige pouch and pulled out another small sheet of special paper for him to use. He raised his right arm out and beckoned me to hand it over to him, so I placed it in the palm of his hand. When he received it, he held it carefully so he wouldn't wrinkle it in his grip, then he glued his eyes on the sheet and stood in silence._

_I wasn't sure what he was doing as he just stood there staring at the paper. I checked a couple times from side to side to see if anything was happening around us, but I didn't seem to notice anything different. I was a bit lost._

_But after a couple of minutes of concentration, the paper lit on fire, which really startled me. Then I witnessed as the paper eventually burn into nothing but ashes and flowed with the wind. I was amazed by the way he was able to do it in such a short amount of time._

"_Wow! That was so cool! How did you do it?," I asked him curiously, desperate to find out._

"_I just relaxed and focused my chakra into the hand I was holding the paper with," he said._

_That sounded easy but was it really? I had to see for myself, sooner or later, if I wanted to be a ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village someday._

"_Are you sure? That's all I need to do?," I questioned quizzically._

_I was still in doubt that it would work. It seemed too simple yet difficult._

"_Trust me. Just relax and concentrate. Try to imagine your chakra flowing through your arm and to your hand and watch what happens," he said with an assuring smile._

_I had to assume he was telling the truth, so I nodded and prepared to give it my all. I closed my eyes for only a brief moment, just so I could focus and help flow my chakra through my arm and to my hand, like he said to do._

_At first, I felt nothing flowing through like it should, but suddenly, a sensation began to travel through my veins, starting from my chest to my right arm. It alarmed me a bit, but I couldn't break the concentration, otherwise I'd mess things up, so I remained still as a statue, though I hesitated a little._

_It was a weird tingly feeling, but it wasn't anything that hurt or would cause me to freak out. In fact, it was awesome! Then as I managed to steadily transfer the chakra to my hand, the paper finally ignited and began to burn. It was an incredible sight! I let go of the sheet before it could possibly have burned me and watched it disintegrate before it could land on the ground._

_Appalled by the discovery of my nature chakra, my eyes grew wide and I brightly smiled. It was completely unbelievable to find out my chakra was fire._

"_Yes! I did it! I did it!," I shouted excitedly as I jumped up and down, "Did you see that? The paper got set on fire. That means I have fire chakra, just like you!"_

_The boy laughed at my reaction, but I didn't care. It seemed like he was laughing with me more than at me._

"_You did good. Now that means you'll get to learn some fire style jutsu. Do you know of any techniques?," he asked me as he placed his hands on his hips._

_Now I realized I was beginning to warm up to the older boy. I was becoming much more comfortable around him since he helped me with this little test of mine. Also, he seemed like he was kind and definitely friendly. He could become my new friend, I thought._

_When I thought about his question, I was unable to come up with any fire style jutsu I knew of. My parents hadn't planned to teach me any type of jutsu yet, although I had just been enrolled to the ninja academy not too long ago. Though I barely could throw kunai knives and shurikens at the time since I was a beginner, what I really wanted to work on was learning a jutsu or two so I could feel like super awesome! But in order to start that, I needed to see what type of nature chakra I had. I struggled with it but because that boy assisted me when I needed it the most, I was then ready to move on to the next step._

"_N-No I don't know any jutsu. I only throw kunai and shurikens," I answered._

_He smiled kindly towards me, which made me blush. I didn't know what he was thinking then._

"_Is that so? Then maybe I can teach you some moves and jutsus. I could also give you some pointers on weapon tossing if you'd like?," he offered._

_It surprised me because he didn't appear to be that advanced enough to teach me anything in ninja training. But then again, I had just met him. My face even flushed with redness and it felt pretty warm out of bashfulness._

"_R-Really? Y-You'd do that w-with m-me?," I asked curiously, sounding flabbergasted._

_He nodded in agreement and kept that warm smile of his._

"_B-But how old are you?," I asked him._

"_Hmm? I'm nine years old. Why?," he wondered._

"_A-Aren't you too y-young to b-be able to t-teach me anything?," I stuttered questionably._

_Well I believed I was comfortable around him already, but I guessed I couldn't control my sudden shyness because he offered to train me, which I didn't have an answer for. He chuckled before he gently placed his right hand on top of my head and slightly ruffled with my hair, which I didn't really mind._

"_Trust me. I might look too young, but I'm very capable of showing you some good techniques," he assured me with a brighter smile._

_It took me about a minute or two to determine whether or not I wanted to take his offer. I could deny him and just wait patiently for my parents to show me some jutsus, but I felt like it would take too long for them to decide to teach me anything and they probably would've believed that I was too young to learn that kind of stuff. As impatient as I was, I knew my answer quickly._

"_Okay. I'll do it!," I said so determinedly._

"_Alright. By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves. My name is Itachi Uchiha of the Uchiha Clan, what's your name?," he introduced himself politely._

"_I-I'm… I'm K-Katana Himura," I said shyly._

"_Katana huh? That's a cute name. It's nice to meet you," he said._

_My face flushed even more from his compliment._

"_T-Thank y-you. It's nice to meet you too, I-Itachi," I told him hesitantly._

_I really couldn't help it then. Shyness was a serious case for me._

_He continued to smile at me, which eventually caused me to return the smile back to him._

"_Would you like to come with me to get some food?," he asked me._

"_Yeah!," I answered quickly._

_I was very hungry and he offered, so why not? Being a kid meant I was always going to be a food lover._

"_Alright. You should hold my hand just in case," he said as he lightly raised his hand for me to grab._

_I thought it was weird and embarrassing for him to be holding my hand, because he was a boy. I was never comfy with Deidara holding my hand when he took me places, so having that boy named Itachi do it too would make me nervous. But since he was older, I thought it couldn't be that bad._

_I lifted my arm up and hesitantly grabbed his hand, then felt him close his fingers around mine. His hand was absolutely warm and soft. It was even kind of a firm grip, so it seemed like I was securely locked in his hand. I wouldn't be in any danger then. He smiled and then we began walking towards the direction of the market district at a normal pace. We remained silent for a while, especially since I was still so shy. I didn't know what to say to break the ice. He was also nine years old, so I didn't know what to talk about with an older kid._

"_So how old are you Katana?," he asked me, breaking the awkward silence between us._

"_I'm six years old," I told him with a little confidence._

"_Oh I see. Well, I think you're at a good age to be learning some jutsus, but first we're gonna do some weapon tossing before we do that, okay?," he explained._

"_Okay," I quietly said._

_It was better to practice my throwing before trying to jump the gun._

I stroked my fingers across the charm as I finished recalling those memories. It had been so long since Itachi left the village in disgrace. Almost eight years since he took out his entire clan and murdered his family, torturing his younger brother Sasuke before he departed. Since then, our so called "special bond" was severed.

I could never forgive him for what he had done. Deidara was still unforgiving, though a little voice inside my head was begging me to forgive him already, but I tried to ignore it as hard as I could.

I never expected a kind and heart-warming person like Itachi to kill his own flesh and blood overnight and just vanish the way he did. It was unlike him. But he did act sort of strangely for some time before that incident. He wouldn't train with me or Sasuke at all. He would say that he was busy with missions, apologize and give a kiss on my forehead and then would disappear. It would upset me every time he did so.

As I stared at the bracelet, my eyes began to build up moisture and they felt like they were about to let out water works. My heart began to ache in pain and I pursed my lips as I lightly grasped my chest. My lips quivered uncontrollably, which was why I pursed them.

I wanted to cry.

But I just couldn't let myself become miserable because of his faults. I had to be strong about it. If I cried, I would feel weak and it would bother me more and more, even though it continued to anyways. I breathed in deeply and exhaled smoothly. It helped me soothe my nerves and I eventually calmed down.

After I was fine, I flipped the box on its bottom and put the bracelet inside. Then I picked up the drawing and the photos, placing them also inside gently before putting the red lid on top to seal it away. I grabbed the box on the sides and lifted it, then I put it on the shelf hidden behind a couple of other boxes so I wouldn't see it.

I decided after that that I wasn't going to continue organizing my stuff after all. My mood unexpectedly plummeted to a low level, so it wasn't worth trying to look past. I turned off the light and slowly began to close the closet door. I paused however to look back at the stack of boxes, picturing the items in my mind before finally shutting the door.

I ran up to my bed and hopped on top of it face down. I crawled up to where my pillows were and put my head on it, fixing my body so I was lying sideways on my side of the bed. I felt like I was overwhelmed with gloominess ever since I remembered about Itachi. I said I wasn't going to cry my eyes out from sheer sadness that things turned out terrible for us and our friendship. But I couldn't control the single tear that came from the corner of my eye and rolled down my cheek and onto the pillow, symbolizing the pain of missing the past.


	18. Chapter 17: Sleepless Night

*Chapter 17: Sleepless Night*

Bad headaches are usually hard to deal with, especially when you've cried so heavily that it was impossible to stop on your own. More than a tear was spilled after I tried to rely on my willpower to prevent myself from getting upset about both Itachi Uchiha and Deidara, the two of the most important people in my life, committing the crimes that they did in the past. Itachi was the murderer of his clan and Deidara had become a terrorist bomber.

Why did this happen to me? What was their purpose for their actions and why didn't I do anything to stop it? Unfortunately, I was unable to answer those questions that ran through the back of my mind.

In fact, how could I have known their true intentions in the first place? I couldn't read minds or predict the future. I was blind about the situations because I was a child and I believed none of those things would ever happen to us. Never say never. You're usually never prepared for what's coming for you.

I was severely restless that very night, tossing and turning, my mind unsettled. It was hard to simply put things aside and instantly fall asleep when something so heartbreaking like what I went through in the past continues to haunt your every peaceful moment you get. There was no resolution for my tormented emotions.

With no hope for a serene slumber, I rose from my bed, left it messy, snatched my light grey jacket from one of my closet hangers and slipped into it without rushing. I zipped it up until it was under my breast level, then I looked around my room to find my black sandals and swept them from the floor where my TV dresser was. I sat on the bed and slipped them on, standing afterwards so I could stretch and yawn. I then grabbed my keys, put them in my inside jacket pocket and headed for the front door.

I was heading for the Third Training Grounds. Not to train, but to relief my scrambled mind of these mixed emotions and unbearable thoughts I had that impeded me from properly sleeping that night.

When I made it, I ensured myself that I was completely alone, with no one to put me on halt or stir up any trouble. I was in no mood to be interrupted, even by my close friends. I just desired seclusion from my busy surroundings.

Small tears continuously ran down my face on both sides as I started running through the fields to get to one of the tall thick trees that stood broadly in its place on the outside of the forest area. As I got closer to the targeted tree, I focused my chakra to my feet and once I approached it, I threw one foot onto the surface of the tree and put the other in front, basically sprinting upward on it. Then I turned onto one of the thick branches and stood there for a few seconds before deciding to settle and sit down.

Boy, I was not feeling too good. That day became one of my unpleasant days so far in my life.

Who would've thought that seeing the little pieces of your childhood would ruin your day dramatically? I shouldn't have took it too seriously when I saw them scattered on my closet floor earlier, but because I had to be a fool, flip through the files of my memories in my head and somehow became dreadfully affected by it. I was either too sensitive or severely emotionally scarred.

I couldn't forgive or forget the unfortunate events that occurred between me and those two guys who in essence walked out of my life. They practically backstabbed me without confronting me and just left without any trace of their whereabouts or existence. I was expected to move on from that? I don't think that's possible.

And if that wasn't enough to pressure me lower into the dark abyss of depression, the recent death of Itsuki sensei added on more force only a couple of years after Deidara vanished. The unbearable reminder of my long time teacher's murder was harder to forget. I started choking up from the thought of all those things combined and my tears increased tenfold. I covered my face between my legs as I sat in a fetal position. The pain in my chest became persistent.

I felt the cold frosty wind strongly brush through my hair and glide against my skin as I wept on the tree branch. I was uncertain of why I didn't choose to stay in my warm and cozy home to cry to myself, but being out in the wilderness, where I could breathe in the outdoor air and stare at the illuminating night sky should help soothe one's nerves. It was necessary, I thought, though I didn't even pay attention to my surroundings.

"Katana?," a deep familiar voice said to me.

Startled, I sniffled and tried to put my crying to a halt. I shot my head up like a deer sensing a presence and turned to the right side, the direction where I heard the voice speak to me. When I checked, Zephyrus was kneeling on the branch that was next to mine. He frowned with a greatly concerned look on his face as he peered over at me.

"Kat? What are you doing out here, in the cold, in your pajamas and on your own?," he quizzed me worryingly.

I remained silent and didn't answer his question. I wasn't able to tranquil myself into replying back and I was afraid I eventually wouldn't. I remembered how I did walk out of my place in my pajamas, because I didn't feel like changing out of them. I looked away as I sniffled more and tried to find something else to spot to keep from making eye contact with him. Then I breathed in deeply, while carefully breathing out through my mouth.

"Nothin'. I don't mind the cold. It feels good as it's drying my tears away," I said lowly.

There was an awkward vibe between Zephyrus and I. I could tell the silence that he wasn't too pleased with my response. I didn't need to turn and look to figure that out.

"Kat, what's wrong? What's been bothering you?," he asked as he sat on his branch facing me, from what I could tell from the corner from my eye.

There was a pause between us. I mentally prepared to say something to him, hoping he'd understand.

"Don't you wish that some pieces of your past can be altered? Like would you go back in time and fix them so they could be better than how they were left now?," I said sounding almost rhetorical.

I turned my head to face him and once I did, I noted that he had a shocked expression. His dark brown eyes were wide open and his lips were partially apart from each other. He seemed like he saw a rat or something unreasonable. Then he shook his head a few times before suddenly appearing serious. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes met mine.

"What are you… Are you thinking about Deidara and Itachi again?," he wondered.

I kept my mouth shut because it was true. He shook his head from disappointment before putting his focus back on me. I wiped a tear from under my eye.

"Katana, why is it you insist on bringing yourself down because of what those two did? You know how you get when you think about them. There was nothing more you could've done to prevent them from leaving."

"I can't help it…"

"That's not an excuse anymore. I hate to see you like this every time any of those guys cross your mind," he said as he tapped the temple of his head.

I stayed silent. What more could I say? All that was building up was the irritation of listening to someone trying to tell me otherwise, though he was supposed to be helping.

"You can't just keep looking back at the dark parts of your past and expect it to suddenly change. It's only going to cause you more pain because you can never go back and change anything," he went on, hoping to convince me to forget about the situation.

I couldn't take it any longer.

"You know what? Who are you to tell me otherwise?!," I snapped mindlessly and fiercely as I stood up quickly, "You have no idea, NO IDEA, what it's like to lose two of your precious friends to the dark and cruel criminal life. You don't know what it's like to have created a special bond with them and to unexpectedly have your bond severed without a real confrontation! Not only that, what top those off the most, what hurt me the most after those two left, was Itsuki sensei's death! When Takashi, Rukio and I lost him, I couldn't take it. I just couldn't accept his death… it was so hard… the sharp pain and agony in my heart became larger than it already was before…"

I fell to my knees and started crying again, right in front of Zephyrus. My emotions were flooded with pure sadness and sorrow.

"I-I… I just wish… I wish that, things were different… I hate waking up every morning, just to look out the window and realize that nothing is going to get any better… I miss Deidara, I miss Itachi, and I miss Itsuki sensei…," I sobbed heavily.

I shook as I wept hard and clenched onto the rough tree branch. I couldn't contain myself any further. It hurt to hear him say those things directly towards me, but I had to face the facts. He was right. There was nothing I could've done, which only made me feel worse than I already was. How could I live with myself seeing how useless I really was? I realized I was unable to save Itsuki sensei at the time of his murder, but before that, I was even able to save two of my precious friends from falling into the depths of darkness. I was hopeless.

Suddenly, I felt something touch my shoulder as I faced the surface of the branch. When I rose my head up and turned, it was Zephyrus' warm hand lying there gently and firm. As I was slightly surprised, I caught a glimpse of his face expression and noticed how deep his frown was as he peered down at me. His dark eyes softened and gave a strong emotional sense.

"I'm sorry Katana, but I do know what it feels like, to lose someone close to you," he softly spoke as stared straight into my watery eyes.

Tears still rolled down my cheeks and dripped from my chin as I watched him and listened as silently as I could let myself, to see what he would say next. He paused and exhaled deeply before preparing to speak again.

"Remember when I used to talk about Meiline?," he quizzed me in a cool tone.

"Meiline," I repeated quietly.

He nodded approvingly. Meiline was a childhood friend of his before he met me at the academy. She was also his childhood sweetheart.

"My life started off difficult when my father mysteriously vanished shortly after we moved to the Leaf Village when I was about three years old. My mother struggled to make enough money to put food on the table. None of the children here treated me as equally as you and the others do. They gave looks of disgust and rejected me, not allowing me to participate in any of their activities, causing me to isolate myself. They had me believe that I was an outsider and I was left alone. But then, there was hope for me, when a girl with beautiful long dark blue hair came up to me one day and offered to play with me. She treated me like an equal, she was kind to me and wasn't a selfish person. Her smile brightened up my world and her eyes sparkled like sapphires. I was shocked that someone from the village actually wanted to spend time with me, but I took the advantage and enjoyed every moment I spent with her. However…," he paused as he lightly began to choke up, "When I found out she was moving away, to somewhere where she even didn't have an idea about, I was devastated. I couldn't image my life without her. When she left, it was like half of me, half of my heart left with her."

I was stunned, though I had heard about it once before when we were kids. What got my greatest attention that time was how much he revived those emotions he put into those words to describe how he felt hurt to see his special person leave and never saw her again. My heart dropped a little and I was empathetic for him. We did share that in common, but what was different with me, was that Deidara returned. That was also the problem, because no one, not even him, was to find out about it.

"But before we departed to our separate way, I had given her something for her to remember me, wherever she would be. I gave her a ring that was passed down from generation to generation in my family. My great grandfather gave it to my great grandmother, then my grandfather gave it to my grandmother, my father gave it to my mother, and then they had given it to me to give to someone who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, so I gave it to Meiline. I know that I was just a small kid back then and I was too young to be thinking about true love and all, but something deep inside my heart told me that she was 'the one' when she gave me that kiss one faithful night, and that we were destined to be together forever. It was painful to see her go, but I had to learn to move on and appreciate what I have now, though it was very rough on me," he continued in a sad tone as he peered blankly down to the branch.

Wow. I felt extremely bad for him then again. Seeing him this depressed only reminded me of the time when I found him trying to ease his emotional pain with physical pain.

_We were young at the time, sometime after Meiline left the village and we were still enrolled in the ninja academy. I had decided to go to his house to have a play date with him, but at nighttime. Usually my parents never recommended for me to wander around the village during night hours, but somehow, I had an exception that evening._

_When I arrived at the house, his mother was just leaving to get a few things from the grocery store. She told me that Zephyrus was in his room quietly waiting for me to go and play with him. Then when she left the house, I excitedly headed towards his bedroom, wondering what we would do that day._

_His door was partially cracked open and appeared to be very dark inside. It made me wonder and I became suspicious. Why would he have his room pitch black like that, I thought. I cautiously approached the door and took a peek inside his room, hoping he didn't notice me standing by. It was a bit hard to see because of how dark it really was in there, but since there was some light beaming from the hallway where I stood, it was slightly possible to spot a few things._

_As I scrolled my eyes to find anything, I spotted Zephyrus sitting on the floor with a kunai knife in his hand. He was staring blankly at it, keeping his focus on it the entire time. It was a strange look he gave and it worried me a little, but I kept still and continued to observe what he was doing. I watched as he raised his right arm slowly and twisted it so that his wrist was facing him and had his hand rolled into a fist. Then he brought his kunai and placed the sharp side of it onto the surface of his skin. I was unsure of what he was going to do. But what happened next scared me._

_My eyes grew wide from shock as I witnessed him cutting through his wrist, eyeing the small amount of blood that began to drip from his arm and onto the floor. He slit his own wrist._

_I covered my mouth with both of my hands to keep myself from screaming and I wanted to seriously cry as I watched him stare at his bloody wound unfazed. This was a side of Zephyrus I had never imagined would appear ever. How could someone just cut themselves to ease their pain, thinking it was going to help? I couldn't believe it._

_I was so upset that my eyes began to water and I was going to start crying anyways, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it._

_I had to do something to keep him from bleeding to death, so I pushed the door open and ran inside. Tears flew from my face as I hurried towards him, got down on my knees quickly and snatched his wrist, covering his wound with my hand in hopes it would help stop the bleeding. I wept as I gripped his arm firmly. I looked up at him as I cried, noting his surprised expression as he peered down at me._

"_Please… Zephyrus… Please stop… Don't do this to yourself… I can help you… I promise I can make you feel happy again… just don't hurt yourself, please…," I pleaded him as I cried more tears, assuming that he did that because of Meiline._

_His dull eyes turned soft and understanding, appearing like he wanted to weep as well. It was difficult for him to make complete eye contact with me or to say anything because of the guilt he felt for upsetting me. It was a rough night for the both of us._

Since then, I had tried my hardest to keep my promise to make him as happy as he can be, though this particular night wasn't helping any of our cases, and it was all my fault.

"But everything's okay now, because I have friends like you, Hana and the others who will always be there for me and have my back for any situation, just like you always had before," he told me with a sudden warm smile.

It was true. In the past, I always did whatever I could to help him out in any way possible. He was still suffering with the fact of losing Meiline, so I needed to find ways to cheer him up, which usually worked. I began to slowly give a small approving smile.

"Yeah," I only said slightly happy for him.

"So Katana, try not to look back at your past too much and just look forward to the future, okay?," he recommended.

I nodded to show that I understood, sat up and wiped all of my tears away, beginning to feel a little better than earlier. He was right again. If I consistently looked at the past, then I wouldn't be able to move on, so I was going to attempt to keep going forward. All I could do was smile at Zephyrus, just as he was beaming towards me.

"Would you like me to walk you home?," he offered as he stood up and brought out his hand.

"I would like that very much," I said approvingly as I stood up as well.

We then both jumped off of the tree branch and headed back to my apartment at a normal walking pace, enjoying the cool breeze that brushed against my skin and my damp eyes.


	19. Chapter 18: A Trip To My Aunt's House

*Chapter 18: A Trip To My Aunt's House*

The rest of that night went better than I thought it would. I managed to sleep very well after settling things with Zephyrus. There were no more distractions that clouded my mind as I went to bed last night, except for the short dream of Deidara.

Of course he had to pop up somewhere at some point in my dreams, not that I tried to think of him.

But in an unusual way, I liked the sense of his presence, even if it wasn't real. I guess it made me feel comfortable and secure, knowing he was there wherever I was. Despite my absentminded approval of it, I decided to pass it off as nothing but a silly little accidental dream.

The next morning, I had checked the calendar to see what I needed to do for the week, hoping there were no upcoming events for me. When I looked, I noticed how it was already the twenty-third of December. Christmas was definitely right around the corner!

But luckily, there was nothing to fear, for I had already done the Christmas shopping earlier, sometime before my birthday. The presents were wrapped and stored in the very back of my closet, behind all of my other clothes so they would be well hidden. The gifts were mostly for my family and friends from all around. I thought it would be nice to give almost everyone I could remember a present for Christmas.

However, the only person who I hadn't gotten a gift around the same time as the others was, you guessed it, Deidara.

Sometime after I took a break from the Sand Village mission, I had gone to the store to find a quick yet slightly meaningful present for him, wondering whether or not he would appreciate it at all. I figured he'd like the idea that I thought about him when I went shopping for a decent gift, maybe even try to flirt with me again believing it was a sign of admiration, but that wasn't going to fly with me. I will threaten to punch him if he tried anything sly.

I bought him a bottle of this cologne that smelled absolutely good. When I took a whiff of it at the store, I was mesmerized by how awesome the scent was. Any guy who wore it would definitely catch the ladies' attention from even a long distance. It was inside a medium-sized navy blue opaque glass bottle with a silver round cap to conceal the scented liquid.

I thought it would be convenient to give to Deidara for Christmas, not that I expected him to actually put it on once he received it. Just wanted him to have something nice.

The problem with all of that was that I was unable to go give him the present. He wasn't planning on coming over soon and I already made plans to go to my Aunt Makoto's house in the Hidden Sand Village, for which afterwards, we would have our little fight. I was confident that I could beat him once I showed off my true abilities. I knew that for a fact. Although I won't have time for training, I believed I could still manage to take him down.

All that aside, I needed to figure out how I could deliver his gift to him, because I had no clue where the Akatsuki Lair was, nor was I good with tracking. But then the light bulb appeared over my noggin!

I sprinted through my bedroom, dug through one of my dressers until I found what I was looking for and then pulled it out quickly. It was a small grass green scroll with a dark red border. I don't usually use these things, but they did come in handy on certain occasions and it seemed that that was the appropriate day to use them.

I ran out to the kitchen, sat at the table and started unrolling the scroll, laying it across the table. It contained very detailed black writing with a big symbol in the center. It was a summoning scroll. I have a lot of them since our family has passed them down from generation to generation and somehow each generation was able to possess more of them at any chance they got. I'm not exactly sure how it was possible, but because I was the first born descendant of the now small Himura Clan, they were given to me and it was my responsibility to take good care of them.

The only way to summon the creature from the seal was to draw my blood from the hand that I would use to bring them to my location and perform the hand signs. So I went and searched for a sharp object inside my kitchen drawers. Sure enough, I found a kunai I had placed in there in case of protection, though I had normal knives stored away, but I didn't want to get those dirty.

I don't like inflicting upon myself, especially paper cuts because those are the most painful, big or small! But since the summoning jutsu required blood from the contractor, which happened to be me, I had to do what I needed to do for it to work properly. So I took the kunai in my left hand, brought it up to my right thumb and carefully pressed it against the skin, slightly penetrating through it and drawing a small amount of blood from it. It stung pretty badly, but I had to endure it.

After placing the knife on the table, I performed the correct hand signs and placed the bleeding hand on top of the symbol of the scroll.

"Summoning Jutsu!," I said in my mind.

Then a large puff of smoke appeared where my hand was and it clouded the area where I stood. Once it finally began to clear up, I removed my hand from the scroll and spotted the creature that sat in the place of the symbol.

"Kori! Long time no see," I greeted the scorpion.

Kori was the size of a pocket book. Her colors were navy blue with ice blue markings on the surface of her body, since she was a scorpion who had ice abilities, though our clan's main nature chakra was fire. There are plenty of things about my scorpion companions that I still don't know about.

"Katana, what a surprise. You've summoned me?," she asked sounding puzzled yet happy that she saw me.

"Yeah, I need your help with something," I said as I hurried into my bedroom to retrieve Deidara's gift from my dresser by my bed and ran back to the kitchen to show her, "I need you to deliver this to a friend of mine."

"A friend? Who might this friend be?," she quizzed me with a curious tone in her high pitched voice.

Man, I knew if I told her who it really was, she would be greatly disappointed in me. I would've just kept my mouth shut if she wasn't eye balling me into pressure. I couldn't hold it in any longer after a few minutes.

"Deidara…," I said in an undertone.

She was appalled by the name said to her. She had known about him in the past when I used to summon her just to bond with her and the others. When I told about what happened between him and I, everyone, mainly her were very upset and encouraged me to stop thinking of him. Hearing that he was considered "a friend" to me once again made her unpleased apparently.

"Deidara?! Your childhood friend Deidara?! The Deidara who betrayed his village and broke your heart?! That Deidara," she spoke loudly, almost sounding like she was angry.

"Shh! Will you keep it down? Yes that Deidara," I admitted lowering my head down.

"Kat, why are you becoming associated with him again? Wasn't he the main cause of your sadness and sorrow, the great emotional pain he inflicted upon your heart when he became a terrorist bomber and left the Stone Village to continue his dangerous ways?"

"Yes, yes, I know what he did to me, to our strong friendship bond. But it's actually different now. He's seems different this time, like as if the old Deidara I once knew is still there deep inside, I can sense it. I can see it in his bright ice blue eyes and the way he embraces me," I got sort of carried away.

She looked skeptical at my response and suddenly her face appeared surprised.

"What?," I asked.

"Do you love him Kat?," she questioned.

I was baffled by her accusation. What was she talking about? My eyes grew wide and it felt like my jaw dropped to the floor.

"What?! W-What are you talking about Kori? Don't be silly! That's crazy," I denied, feeling as though my cheeks were getting warm while giving a dismissal wave.

"You do! You're in love with Deidara aren't you?!," he pointed her little claw at me.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! …Whoa! Don't be ridiculous Kori! Why would you assume that?," I wondered trying to sound defensive without too much hesitation.

"Isn't it obvious? Your entire face is flushed dark red like a tomato. The expression you made when you described his eyes and his hugs was like you were enthralled by him. You also sound like you're hesitating when you deny it and I find it strange that you all of a sudden want me to deliver a Christmas present to him after what he had done to you in the past," she explained surprisingly calm.

She was right about all those statements, but I truly believed things were not how they used to be and I had to continue to defend that belief.

"It may seem like I have feelings for him, but it's not the case. He returned the day before my birthday this year, wanting to patch things up between us and it seems more like he might have feelings for me, from what I observed, but he could also be playing a trick on me and waiting for the moment when I lower my guard down, which is why I do my best to make sure he understands that I cannot be persuaded that easily," I told her.

Sure I could see that Deidara was a changing guy, but I still had to keep my fists up and in a fighting stance in case he attempted a slick move. Never be fooled by the enemy. Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer, as they say it.

"Are you sure about that?," Kori questioned for an assurance from me.

I nodded in approval with a straight face. After that, I decided to glance at the window to stare out of it, waiting for an answer from Kori whether or not she was going to agree to take my gift to Deidara. I guess I had to give her time to think about it. Finally as I spotted a blue bird flowing through the semi clear sky, I heard a sigh come from my scorpion friend.

"Alright, I shall deliver the gift to him, only if it'll make you happy," she said as if she reluctantly had to.

Who said I would be sad if she didn't? I probably would've been a little upset if she didn't want to, but it was no big deal, though I could end up becoming ridiculously emotional. Silly me.

I quickly turned on the ball of my foot and ran up to the table with bright smile on my face. I placed my hands on the surface of the table, which sort of rocked Kori a little and almost knocked her out of balance.

"Oh, thank you Kori! You're the best!," I told her excitedly.

"Anytime," she said as she crawled up to the present I had placed onto the table earlier when I asked her to deliver it.

With her little pinchers, she clasped onto the seasonally wrapped box and tried to pull it over her body, but she was struggling to even lift it up to even a single millimeter. The cologne must have been kind of heavy for her to pick up.

"Do you need help there Kori? You look like you're having trouble lifting it," I wondered if she needed assistance.

"Hmm, this is much heavier than I thought. I don't think I'll be able to carry this all the way to where Deidara is," she said in a whiny tone.

I had to brainstorm on how she could take the gift in the easiest way possible. Since it was too big for her to have on her tiny body, she could severely injure herself or put too much strain in her back. I glanced at the scroll that remained opened and out on the table. Then it occurred to me. Why not get a smaller scroll and seal the gift inside so it can be portable for Kori and convenient for only Deidara to open it? I'm not sure how came up with things like that, especially since my laziness causes me to not care about sometimes.

I went into my bedroom and dug through the same dresser I retrieved the last scroll from. I moved my hands all over the place to search for the tiny scrolls I had somewhere, until I finally felt the edge of one of them near the right hand corner of the drawer. I pinched my fingers tightly on the corner of it and pulled it out swiftly, giving it a toss straight up in the air before holding it in the palm of my hand.

I ran back to Kori and opened the small scroll, laying it flat on the table face up.

"Alright Kori, I'm going to seal the present into this portable scroll, so that way, it'll be easier for you to carry it to Deidara, since it'll probably be a long trip," I told her.

"I see. Very well then Kat," she agreed, making a short nod.

With both agreements, I performed the required hand signs needed for this to work. Honestly, it took me years to perfect these kinds of seals, while I was sure my ancestors before me must've done it with no real hesitation. But I guess everyone learns at a different pace, though I hate being the slower one.

I grabbed the present, placed it in the center of the scroll after adding a little more blood from my wounded finger from earlier and made the final hand sign. Then in a puff of smoke, the gift successfully sealed into the scroll.

"Perfect," I thought with a smirk.

"Kat, you really need to wrap that cut of yours. I don't want you to bleed out or get an infection," she suggested in her adorably squeaky voice.

"Of course," I said as I went into one of the cabinets and took out the white first aid kit.

"I'm curious, what's inside the gift box anyways?"

"It's some kind of cologne I found at the market earlier. It actually smelled really good, so I thought maybe it would make a fine Christmas present for a guy, who happened to be Deidara," I said as I finished wrapping a band aid around my thumb.

I put away the kit and approached the table again, rolling the scroll back up and then searched for a piece of string.

"Oh I see. Did you get it on purpose for him so you could get a chance to smell him all the time?"

I suddenly paused and turned my head quickly to face her, looking skeptical with my eyes wide open.

"W-What?! What are you talking about? I'm not boy crazy!," I answered loudly.

"But you're Deidara crazy," she said deviously.

I knew if she had a more visible face, I would be able to tell that she was grinning towards me. I was shocked that she would say something like that, even to me! She was usually more mature than this, but I guess today was different. There were times when she would be more relaxed around me and would act as immature as me. That was what I liked about her, but using it against me was unbelievable.

"No I'm not!," I shouted as I pulled out some string and stomped towards her, "Now stop saying that and hold still."

She obeyed and I placed the scroll gently on her back, carefully tying the yellow string around her body and the rolled paper. Once it was wrapped correctly, I made a tight, but not too tight bow underneath her body.

"There. Now you're set to go. Just be very careful when you enter the Akatsuki Hideout. I've never seen it before so I don't know what they might have for traps, so deliver the gift cautiously," I warned her.

"Alright but I'm not sure if I'll even be able to locate him through guessing. Do you have anything of his that might have his scent on it?," she asked.

I had to think about it as I scanned my surroundings. I never recalled Deidara leaving anything behind for me to use as a sample for Kori. We both don't have a clue where the Akatsuki Lair was and without any evidence for her to help track Deidara's location, we would be stuck. But then I thought of something after all.

"How about this?," I said as I ran into my bedroom, hopped on the bed, grabbed the pillow Deidara used when he spent the night at my apartment and ran back into the kitchen, slamming the pillow beside Kori.

"A pillow? Why did you bring this?," she asked puzzlingly.

"It's the pillow he used earlier when he spent the night here," I told her, hoping she'd accept it.

"You let him spend the night in your apartment?," she wondered, sounding very surprised.

"Well yeah. It was a long story actually," I said as I rubbed the back of my head and looked the other way.

"Did he, sleep in the bed with you?," she asked as she slightly got closer to me while trying not to get too close to the edge of the table.

I blushed heavily, trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"…yes," I mumbled as I lightly scratched the side of my cheek.

"What was that?"

"Yes."

She fell silent for a moment. It became extremely uncomfortable that I had to clear my throat out of awkwardness.

"I can't believe you Kat," she told me coldly.

"Why?," I wondered as I cocked an eyebrow from confusion.

"You slept in the same bed as Deidara."

"Yeah, so?"

"Did he do things to you? Did he touch you in inappropriate places? I swear if he did anything to harm you, I will personally kill him!," Kori said in an angry yet cute tone.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Whoa! Kori, everything is fine! Nothing happened between us, we simply just fell asleep in the same bed. He didn't try anything, besides, he wouldn't anyways."

"How do you know that? Hmm," she questioned.

"Because if he did, I'd beat him like a drum," I answered in a tough tone.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, she began to giggle, which went from low to loud in a matter of seconds. I was confused on why she was laughing at me, in fact, it freaked me out.

"Why are you laughing?," I asked quizzically.

She managed to control herself after a good chuckle.

"It was how you said that! It sounded sort of wrong in a funny way," she told me before giggling a few more times.

Oh my goodness, this little scorpion.

"Now you're thinking dirty?! Oh my god!," I shouted as my face flushed with dark red.

She laughed more as I felt frantic about that remark. It was embarrassing enough to hear from someone that the way you worded a sentence sounded naughty, but to then imagine it in your head makes the situation far worse. I didn't mean to think about it, but a small image popped up and I had to quickly block it from my mind before I went slightly crazy. But because it seemed amusing to me as well, I began to chuckle a few times myself.

"See? I knew you'd find it funny too Kat," she commented happily.

"Hehe, I guess," I said as I beamed down at her and scratched the back of my head.

She then turned her little body to the side where the pillow lied, crawled on top of it and began sniffing all around for Deidara's scent. I never realized that scorpions needed scents from things in order to find where to go and I wasn't sure if they were the tracking type either, but since she requested evidence, I gave her what I could find.

It took her only a couple of minutes to check the pillow before facing me.

"I have captured his scent well enough for me to track him down," she confirmed.

"Alright then," I nodded in approval.

As she hopped off the pillow and slowly headed for the living room window, she halted for a moment.

"Can you open the window for me? I'm obviously too little to do it myself," she asked in her cute voice.

I giggled a little before I unlocked the latch to the window and slid it up and open for her to crawl out through. She was on the window seal before she turned to look up at me.

"Kat, I just want to tell you something. Be careful with Deidara. I know it may seem like you two may become good friends again, even after all of that from the past, but I don't want you to get hurt if anything bad were to occur. He could either be a different guy in a good way or he could be plotting something definitely evil behind your back, so you have to be on your toes around him," she said solemnly.

I was a bit surprised she told me that, but then I smirked, feeling glad that I had a good little friend like her who actually cared about my situation. I bent down on my knees so I could almost be at her level and beamed at her.

"Kori, I'm glad you're looking after me, but you don't need to worry about me. I'm not that same little girl who used to always rely on others to help defend me every time I'm in trouble. I can take care of myself and handle the situation alright. Besides, if he did try anything, I usually have the advantage to punch him square in the face," I assured her.

She giggled at that comment.

"Okay then, I'll see you later Kat," she said in a happy tone.

I petted her gently on her back.

"Be safe Kori," I told her as I bid her farewell.

I watched her jump out of the living room through the window and then she was out of my view. I closed the window shut after she left and locked the latch, checking to make sure it was secured.

Now that I had that taken care of, I had to finish packing for the trip, but before I could even do that, I needed to go see Tsunade at her office and get permission to leave the village for several days, just long enough for me to rest from my duties, (and to have my fight with Deidara whenever he's ready.)

I hate asking her for things for some reason. It bothered me to go and request certain things from her, wondering whether or not she would allow it, which most of the time, I worried she'd say no. However, I was sure since I knew I had nothing to do for the next couple of weeks that she would at least allow me to visit my family in the Sand for the Holidays. After all, I hardly see them since we live pretty far away. What harm would it do?

I slipped on my sandals only, since I already had my normal clothes on and my hair was in a neat high ponytail, grabbed my keys and headed for the Hokage residence to get my permission slips from Tsunade, praying she doesn't reject my request.


	20. Chapter 19: Christmas In The Sand

***Note: Sorry I took long to update! I've been pretty busy, with work, family things, etc. Also I had some writer's block, but now I feel alright! :) Enjoy!***

*Chapter 19: Christmas In The Sand*

I was minutes away from arriving to the Village Hidden in the Sand. Sort of surprisingly, Tsunade gave me permission to go see my family there, realizing that I had nothing on my schedule. I could remember how it went as I walked casually towards the stone walls that covered the village miles away.

_It was about three days ago, which was the same day I sent Kori to deliver Deidara's Christmas present to him at the Akatsuki Hideout, where I assumed he had to be at the moment. After she departed, I had to go to visit Tsunade in her office at the Hokage Residence in order to ask for permission to leave the village for a while. Without her approval, I wouldn't be allowed to go visit my family in the Sand Village._

_I had to admit, I was a little nervous as I got closer to her office. Tsunade can be surprising at times and who knew what she would do or say when you got there and told her what you wanted. She also has her moments when her mood affects her the most, especially when she drinks, so it can be somewhat scary. If you tell her or call her anything that you know she will not approve of, you will most likely feel her wrath and eventually die. Not that I've ever heard about her literally killing anyone for a smart remark before, but I was not going to take my chances. I had more respect for her than that._

_When I arrived, I walked into her office as calm as I could be, hoping she wouldn't try to get rid of me all of a sudden. Again, she could act slightly unreasonable. I took a deep breath before I approached her desk._

_She was looking through her four stacks of papers before she glanced up at my face and then focused back at her papers._

"_Oh, Katana it's you. Did you need something?," she said as she picked up a pen and signed one of the papers and put it aside._

_Being nervous for me means I can lose focus of what I wanted to do or say. I could get warm and uncomfortable and I could possibly sweat a little from the anxiety like chilling on a hot summer day. I had almost forgotten what I had went over there for, but then I finally shook my head to snap back into reality._

"_Well, Lady Tsunade, I a-actually came here to ask you for something," I told her, keeping my cool._

"_Really? What do you desire today?," she asked as she continued signing papers._

_Her eyes were glued to the stack she had to go through that sat in front of her. She seemed like she was listening to me, but what if she wasn't completely focused on what I had to say? I guess I wouldn't have known until I spit it out._

"_I request permission to leave the Leaf Village and to visit my family in the Sand Village for a while. Long enough to spend the Holidays with them," I straight up told her, without trying to sound demanding._

_She paused in the middle of one of her signings and slowly scrolled her eyes up, darting towards me. It almost appeared like she was scolding me. Maybe it was something I said? Uncertain, I remained quiet, waiting for her response to it. She continued to stare at me for several more seconds, which I began to freak out in my mind and I even had to clear my throat from discomfort._

"_Alright," she simply answered as she went back to finishing her signing of a paper._

_Stunned by her humble response, my mouth hung partially open and my eyes grew slightly wide._

"_That's it? Huh, I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought," I thought in my mind._

"_Just allow me to sign the rest of these papers, and then I will pull out some paperwork for you to have before you leave," she said as I quickly signed the first stack and moved on to the second, "You can sit on that chair and wait for me."_

_I obeyed her and sat on the sierra brown chair that she pointed out. It took her several more strange and silent minutes of signing and organizing before she pulled out the traveling papers from inside her drawers of her desk. When she wants something done faster, she literally goes through those stacks of papers like how Choji and Naruto eat food. Talk about impatience and speed._

She had my papers done in no time. I was unable to give her an exact date that I planned to return by because I really didn't know what day I'd like to be back, mainly since I had special plans that she wasn't aware of. I just gave her an estimate of several days, enough to spend the Holidays with others outside of the Hidden Leaf Village.

As I got closer to the outside gate, I still was very surprised that Tsunade let me go without any belief of a conflict with my plans. I thought it was probably because she was either too busy with her paperwork and she wanted me out of her hair or she was actually generous enough to let me see family on the outside for Christmas. Well, whatever reason it was, I was glad it was possible.

It took me about three days to arrive to the Hidden Sand Village on foot. Since I couldn't leave earlier, I got there the day after Christmas, in the late afternoon. I realized it was later than I had hoped, but it was better to have gotten there at a decent time than to have been delayed for many days. I would've felt guilty for that, though it wouldn't have been my fault.

When I approached the main entrance, the two Sand shinobi guarding it stood up straight and kept their posts by standing on both sides of the gateway. They wore the village's uniform and had long turbans covering their heads. Their face expressions were hard and serious, like they were emotionless robots. One had his arms crossed against his chest and the other had his by his sides.

"State your purpose," the young cross armed man demanded calmly.

I was content with the fact that I got to stop and rest. Walking, running and jumping from tree to tree sure does take a lot out of you, especially when you're carrying a heavy backpack over your shoulders for miles, but now I had to talk to these guys and the weight was pulling me back a bit. I hope I don't become a hunchback someday.

"I am here to visit family, sir. I have permission," I told him as I pulled out a scroll from the side of my backpack and held it out for him to grab.

He took it from my hand and opened it, scrolling his eyes side to side as he read it carefully. When I glanced at his partner, he kept his focus on my face, or at least I thought that was what he was staring at. But I didn't mind, I returned my attention to the one who had finished analyzing my permission scroll. He rolled it back up and handed it to me, nodding his head of approval as I put it away back into my backpack.

After I nodded back, I began walking casually through the gateway. What was different about the Sand Village's main entrance was that it was more like a giant topless walk way, causing you to travel even more before you could reach the village. The walls were humongous and it reached high to an extreme level. Extra protection, right?

Taking a stroll, I spotted a few more ninja standing or sitting against the walls on both sides. They all were giving me the same look that they others were, which made me quite uncomfortable. Though that was the case, I had to ignore them and show them that I was no threat to them or their village. As long as I did nothing to offend them, I was alright.

The walk took longer than I expected. Maybe it was because I decided to go slower to rest up a bit. But once I reached the end of the walk way, I sighed of relief, happy that I finally made it. The Hidden Sand Village never looked so, sandy.

Glad that I was there, I started running towards the direction of my aunt's house. But because I was more exhausted from all the traveling I had already done, I had to slow down a notch and simply walked the rest of the way there. Luckily, it didn't take too long to reach one of the sand colored houses that were on the left side of me. It sat between a couple of other houses alike. Most of the houses here actually look like each other, rather than the diversity back at the Leaf Village. Sometimes I wondered why, but I never found the answer.

I walked up to the door of the house I knew was the Hashimoto Household, raised my right hand up and hit my fist against it about four times. I stood by, waiting for someone to open the door for a couple of minutes. Then after another boring minute, I heard a click and a short creaking noise. I turned my head and saw that the door had opened and a woman was standing in the doorway. She smiled brightly once she recognized me.

"Hey Katana! What a pleasant surprise," my Aunt Makoto Minami greeted excitedly.

Aunt Makoto was my mother Mariko's identical twin sister. Her and my mother were actually born in the Sand Village, along with my Aunt Suzume Minami and Uncle Albeo Biza. My father met my mother at a festival in this village through a friend of hers and she remembered him as a shy yet very sweet man. Though their relationship wasn't as long as you would think they should have, they knew right away that they were meant to be together forever, so they got married under a big cherry blossom tree, the place where they had their first kiss, on one summer day. Since my father resided in the Leaf Village, that meant that my mother had to go move out of her family's home in the Sand and live with my father in a different village. She was pregnant with me around the time they got married and she felt like she would greatly miss her mother and her siblings, but she also knew that living in the Leaf Village with my father would become a start of a new life for herself and especially for me.

Now it has only been a few times per month that we have a chance to visit my family here. I was just thankful that I got a chance for the Holidays, though I wasn't sure I would be joining them for New Years.

"It's nice to see you too Aunt Makoto," I told her with a big smile.

"Mom? Who's at the door?," a young girl's voice shouted from within the house.

"It's your cousin Katana," Makoto answered as she moved back a bit to allow me to enter.

I took several steps into the house and looked around, noticing my toddler twin cousins Jiro and Juro playing with some of their toys in the living room. I heard my aunt shut the door after I entered.

"H-Hi. Hi," Jiro tried to say as he waved his arms excitedly to me.

He also had a huge smile across his face, which can be adorable and devious at the same time. The other twin, Juro, just continued to play with his toys, ignoring that I was even in the house.

"Hi Jiro, how are you doing?," I said as I bent down and gave him a big hug.

"G-Good," he answered.

The twin cousins were just plain cute!

"Katana!," two boys came running out towards me with arms wide open.

They both threw themselves on me and knocked me back, causing me to land on my butt. It kind of hurt.

"Hey Junior, hey Chikao," I greeted my cousins.

Daisuke Jr. and Chikao Hashimoto were my other little cousins. What made Daisuke Jr. stand out the most was his gingery red hair, while the rest of the children had brown colored hair. Some of us are still unsure of how it happened, but we assumed that maybe an ancestor of ours had red hair. He was also the older brother of the four boys in their family and the toughest. Chikao was a shrimpy little tanned boy, who was also pretty adorable himself. He was also the sensitive type, usually getting upset when his older brother messes with him.

"What are you doing here Kat?," Jr. asked curiously.

"I actually came here to give you all something for Christmas, though I'm a day late on that note," I told them as I sat up, waited for them to release me and then I removed my backpack so I could unzip it open.

I dug into it to search for their Christmas gifts I had wrapped and ready to tear through, felt the surface of one of them and pulled it out, checking for the name so I could give it to the right person.

"Here you go Chikao," I said as I smiled to him.

He happily snatched the box from my hand and ran onto the dirt brown love seat couch, with an ecstatic look on his expression.

"And for you Jr.," I told my other cousin, watching him do the same thing.

As I stood up and carried the backpack in my arms, a tanned girl about my height walked into the living room, her face beamed once she saw who I was.

"Katana! Oh, my dear Katana! I'm so happy to see you here," my young cousin Sabia said as she wrapped her arms around my neck and embraced me tightly.

Sabia was a year younger than my sister Atsuko and a year older than my other sister Aiko, which made her the oldest child in her family. She usually acted this excited when she saw any of us visiting her household. However, sometimes when I see her, it's a bit awkward due to the updates I receive from my sisters talking about the rebellious things my cousin says or does with her parents or when she's on her own. Sometimes I worry and wonder whether or not things between her mother and her will shape up in the future. I'm hoping so. But today seemed like a fine day, so I figured nothing would happen.

"It's good to see you cousin," I said to her as she released me.

"What brings you here to our humble home in the Sand Village?," she asked as she gestured her hands in front of her and then placed them on her hips.

"Well, I had decided to spend after Christmas with you guys. In fact, here's your gift, Merry Belated Christmas," I said as I pulled out a light green wrapped box for her.

"Oh thanks Kat! But I'll open it later, if you're okay with that," she told me as she held on tightly to the box without crushing it.

"It's no problem," I said dismissively.

I turned my attention to Aunt Makoto, who was washing the dishes while I had given out the children's gifts. I walked up to the island counter and placed the rest of the gifts I had for them on the surface, which grabbed her attention from cleaning for the moment.

"I also have gifts for the twins, for you and for Uncle Daisuke," I said to her with a small smile.

"Aw, Kat you shouldn't have," she said in a kindly manner.

I remained silent with a pleasant expression, scanning my surroundings. The two older boys were beginning to play with their new toys I had gotten them, the twins were staring at the living room TV as one of their favorite cartoons were on, and Sabia was out of sight, most likely in her bedroom. One person was missing from the group.

"Aunt Makoto, where's Uncle Daisuke?," I questioned her softly.

She paused as she finished drying one of the big glass plates and placed it in the dish rack.

"He's working right now, but he'll be back later tonight," she told me as she started cleaning another plate.

"Oh alright," I confirmed.

I felt my arm then being yanked on to the side. When I turned to see why, Sabia was standing by my said with a smirk across her face.

"C'mon Kat! Let's chill outside in the front, it's gonna be nice and cool out," she begged me.

Without allowing me to answer otherwise, she dragged me to the front door, pulled it open and took me with her. She then shut the door behind me once we were outside.

"Come, sit down and conversate with your favorite cousin," she said as she mysteriously pulled out two white chairs, sat on the left one and then patted on the other, beckoning for me to approach and sit.

With a short and quiet chuckle, I walked to the empty seat and sat down right next to my cousin with no hesitation. She smirked as she scrolled her eyes to check my body.

"Nice outfit. Is it new?," she asked as she turned for a quick second to look at the road.

I looked down at my clothes and then back at her, meeting my eyes with her dark brown orbs.

"Why yes. The other one got ruined so I had to go shopping for something fresh," I said.

"Really?," she arched an eyebrow, "How did that happen?"

"On my previous mission, which was incomplete, I ran into some trouble on the way over here."

"On the way over here? So you were the other member for Team Eriku's mission earlier?"

"Yes," I answered firmly.

"That's interesting," she grinned through her teeth.

I only nodded in agreement as watched her pop her knuckles slowly.

"I never thought the Kazekage would hire a Leaf ninja to assist one of our teams, though why not? We are allies after all and working together can sure help us in the future," she commented as she focused her eyes on a few villagers passing by.

"I suppose so," I added as I also watched them walk by.

Then I got curious about how she knew who Team Eriku were, so I scrolled my eyes towards her direction and wondered.

"So you know who they are?," I approached questionably.

"Hmm?," she hummed in wonder.

"Team Eriku? You know them?"

There was a silent moment between us, one that seemed like it didn't take too long for her to speak again.

"Sort of. I barely see them, let alone talk to them, but did know someone who wa-!"

"Katana?," a young male voice interrupted my cousin's explanation.

The voice was very familiar and as I quickly turned my head to see who it was, he was very recognizable.

"Eriku, what a surprise. What are you doing here?," I said to him as I remained in my seat.

"I could ask you the same thing," he told me as he casually walked up to Sabia and me.

We were lucky my uncle wasn't here or he would've not been too pleased with the sight of us hanging with a boy. I know how ugly that gets. My father never felt comfortable with me hanging with either Deidara or Itachi.

"I almost didn't recognize you in that new outfit you're wearing. It looks nice on you," he complimented as she scratched the side of his cheek and slightly blushed.

"Oh, well, thank you," I said as I glanced down at my clothes and nodded my head shortly with a gentle smile.

From my right side, I could hear my cousin giggling silently to herself. I could tell that she must have been grinning at the same time. I turned to see for myself whether my predictions were right. When I looked, she was doing exactly as I predicted, creating that deep devious grin she had across her face and had arched eyebrows towards my direction. Who knew what that girl was thinking?

"Ohhh," she whispered beside me, trying to keep herself from being seen or heard by him.

"What?," I asked quietly.

"I think he likes you," she told me as she placed the tip of her index finger on her shiny bottom lip.

"Shhh! What makes you think that?," I whispered loudly without realizing.

"Aw, c'mon, isn't it obvious?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Seriously Kat? You don't see it? He definitely has the hots for you."

"No!," I spat in a loud whisper, "We're just friends!"

"Sureeee," she continued to annoy me.

"Is something the matter ladies?," Eriku questioned curiously.

"No," Sabia and I said in sync.

He had a puzzled expression, a cocked eyebrow and had a slightly concerned look in his soft brilliant hazel eyes.

"Okay?," he only said, "So Katana, can we talk for a little bit? Maybe take a stroll with me through the village for a while?"

I was positive my cousin was enjoying this conversation with Eriku and I. I could tell without looking at her tanned face that she had a smug little grin as big and wide as a rainbow flipped upside down. Avoiding contact with her and focusing on whether or not to accept his request, I remained seated in my chair, debating in my mind while looking past Eriku's head. I felt slightly shy about it for some reason. Maybe because he was still the guy that I hardly knew, yet he wanted to get to know me better. There was nothing wrong with being friends with him, but I had an edgy feeling in my gut, as if something could go wrong with being too acquainted to him. I was uncertain of what decision to make.

"Um, I'm not sure…," I said at first, slurring my words a bit.

Suddenly, I felt a shove come from behind me, hearing my cousin giggling quietly as she continued to lightly push me.

"Go ahead Kat," she encouraged me.

"What? Why?," I wondered, hoping he didn't see me look kind of frantic.

"Because this is your opportunity," she told me with a big smile.

I scrolled my eyes to catch a glimpse of Eriku before I went back to Sabia, arching an eyebrow out of puzzlement.

"What opportunity?," I questioned quizzically.

"Just go," she whispered as she beckoned me to go with Eriku.

Reluctantly obeying, not that it was a bad thing; I rose from my seat, making a few glances back at my cousin before I focused my attention towards the Sand shinobi. To help lighten up the situation, I gave a gentle smile to him, for which he returned one to me, assuring that he was fine.

"Ready to go?," he asked me kindly.

I checked on Sabia to see what she would say or do. I expected her to make silly gestures behind my back.

"Don't worry, I'll let my mom know you're with a friend," she said with a smirk as she got up from her seat, winked at me and began to reenter the house.

Feeling a sense of relief, I proceeded by looking straight up at the road to see where we would head, glanced back to notice my cousin already inside the house after hearing the door close shut and then faced Eriku, giving a warm smile.

"I'm ready," I said prepared.

He showed the way using his left arm to gesture towards the road. Aware of where to start, I began to walk forward as he followed casually beside me. Our little walk began as an awkwardly silent moment for us, neither of us seemed to want to speak first, even though he was the one who originally invited me into this talk of his.

The outdoor breeze began to feel cooler as it brushed against my light skin. It caused me to slightly tingle and formed some barely visible goose bumps across my body. Sabia was true to her word. It definitely felt good outside.

I tried my tame my long flowing hair by gliding my fingers down through it as I avoided eye contact with Eriku. I wasn't sure whether I should say the first words or wait longer for him to spit it out. All I knew was that we needed to break the ice, and soon. I watched as a group of young children were running and playing tag with each other on the far right side of the dirt road. A little girl with very light beige skin, golden blonde hair tied with a big red bow with white polka dots and wore a cute white dress had to chase the other kids around until she could touch and make them "it". They looked adorable, having fun together as friends.

Tag was a very challenging game for me as a kid. Though I was never that good at it, I still tried my hardest and used to play with the other kids back at the Leaf Village. I believed that that activity was much more fun when I played it with Deidara when we were younger, back in the day when I went to spend time with him at the Stone Village.

"_Hey Katana, wanna play a game of tag? Hmm," eight year old Deidara asked me._

_By that time, I had no clue that game even existed. I looked at him questionably as I stood up from the soft grassy ground that actually grew from a piece of land that was located on the outskirts of the village. It was one of our favorite hangout spots._

"_Tag? What is tag?," my seven year old self asked him curiously as I tilted my head to the side._

_He seemed pretty surprised at me at that moment. His mouth opened widely and his visible eye grew wide enough as well._

"_What? You've never heard of the game tag before? I am surprised at you Katana! Hmm," he said sounding baffled._

"_Why?," I asked._

_I really wondered what the big deal was about that game, because I had never heard of it, nor did I get the chance to learn to beforehand. I probably didn't know what it was at the time because I was busy hanging with Zephyrus and Itachi._

"'_Cause everyone knows how to play tag! I just can't believe you don't know. Hmm," he explained as he waved his arms around, "But I suppose I can teach you how to play. Hmm."_

"_Really? How does it go?"_

_He stood in silence for several seconds, going over it in his mind before I could demonstrate for me. Then once he was finished, he inhaled a good amount of breath and mentally prepared himself for my lesson._

"_Okay, this is how it goes. Hmm," he said as he approached me, "In the game of tag, whoever is the one called it has to chase after the ones who aren't it. Hmm. For example," he suddenly paused._

_He was taking a long time to continue his sentence and I wasn't sure if he was going to finish at all, until he slowly began to grow a devilish grin across his face as he peered down at me like the Grinch. From the look of it, I had known in the back of my mind that he was plotting something devious for me. He gradually raised up his right arm until it was up in the air, curled his fingers into a fist except for his index, which pointed up at the sky, and then he quickly lowered it to where he poked me on my left shoulder kind of roughly to where I cringed._

"_Tag! You're it! Hmm," he shouted as he stormed off into the wooded area right next door to our hangout spot._

_Greatly surprised, I stood in confusion and my jaw dropped a bit. He made me the "it" person and thought it would help me learn to get the hang of the game? I couldn't believe him. I thought it was completely unfair that he decided to get a head start and leave me clueless wondering what to do next when I had no experience to begin with. He was going to regret it later, I thought._

_So, with what he already had told me about the game, I was supposed to run after him and try to touch him so he could be "it". Getting ready to go for the chase, I looked around so I could see if he was visible and began running through the woods. The sun brightly shined and beamed through the openings of the trees above me so it wasn't dark in the forest. We wouldn't have been out there in the first place if it was night or on a stormy day._

_I ran and searched all throughout the forest just to find Deidara and get him, but after thirty minutes, it seemed like an impossible task. I thought he was either well hidden somewhere or he had ran off too far to where I would never catch him at all. I hoped he was mainly hiding. I didn't like to wander off away from the village, especially alone. I flipped every rock, peeked through every bush and scanned up every tree, but there was surely no sign of him anywhere, which made me a little scared, like as if something had happened to him while we were supposed to play an innocent game of Tag. I didn't know where else to turn. I was beginning to feel unsettled because of his disappearance._

_Suddenly, I heard rustling through one of the bushes I had just checked not too long ago. At first, I could've sworn I had searched it and nothing was inside, but then a hint of doubt began to fill my mind. My heart raced as it continued to lightly shake from side to side. Originally, I would've avoided it and walked away, but I had the urge to check and find out for myself what it was. I cautiously took a few steps closer to the bush, trying not to make any sudden movements as I approached it. Then once I was close to it, I carefully raised my arms out in front, placed them gently on the leafy bush and pulled it apart, revealing the inside of it._

_I had one eye closed as I used the other to peek inside. What I found was nothing, but an innocent squirrel gnawing on an acorn. I was getting worked up for nothing. I sighed of relief as I released my grip on the bush and rubbed my hands against my shirt._

"_Alright, I need to find Deidara and fast!," I said in my mind as I formed a fist with my right hand._

_Unexpectedly, a loud and deep growling noise was sounded from behind me. I froze still after I was startled by the noise as it got closer. My knees began to gradually grow weak and my body started shaking out of sudden fear. I gulped as I slowly turned my whole body around to see what was behind me and what I saw made me jolt in pure terror._

_A big and dark grey coated wolf stood on its four legs and was staring me down with its glowing predatorily eyes. My heart rapidly raced even faster than before and I quivered in fear as I realized I was in front of the beast's view, meaning I was most likely its choice for lunch that day. Its mouth was closed shut, with its yellow tinted sharp dagger like teeth gritting against each other and saliva dripped from the corners as it took a step closer to me. My eyes grew incredibly wide and my lips shook uncontrollably. My legs struggled to stay firmly still as I tried to take some steps back away from the animal. My arms were shaking as well as they were raised in front of my chest and my hands were formed into looser fists._

_As I backed into another step, I accidentally tripped and fell on my bottom, alarming the beast and causing me to enter complete panic mode._

_That's when the wolf decided to make its move and attempted to go for the kill!_

_I immediately jumped back on my feet and ran for my life as fast as possible. I was never sure how I was able to out due the wolf at certain points of my escape, but it didn't matter because my life was on the line and I wanted to survive it!_

_I was so scared, I had believed I wasn't going to make it out alive. The wild animal had great speed and most likely was strong enough to take me down and chew me up in an instant with no hesitation. It saw me as innocent prey and probably sensed that I wouldn't be able to fend for myself since I was a child. I heard animals usually sensed things that normal humans couldn't. I had to keep pushing myself harder to run as swiftly as I could, even for only being a small child. My life depended on it, even though I was extremely frightened at that point._

_I ran through the woods for almost ten minutes, avoiding the wolf as much as my legs would allow me. When I found an opening where I thought I would be able to out maneuver the wolf, I ran slightly faster through it, praying in my mind that everything would be fine after all. Without looking, I felt myself run into something or someone and we both ended up tumbling down the huge grassy hill like a giant rubber ball. I had heard an "umph!" when I met impact with them, so I knew it had to be a person._

_We rolled and rolled and rolled down the steeply sloped hill and we never separated from each other. After a grueling minute of continuous rolling and jerking roughly together, we managed to stop at the end of the ride and I slowly tried to push myself up so I could collect my thoughts correctly. My head spun intensely as I sat up and lightly cupped it with both my hands._

"_Ohh, my head," I moaned lowly._

"_Hmm," I heard someone groan right beside me._

_I head shot up, still startled from the chase of the wolf and saw who I bumped against. Deidara steadily sat up and rubbed the back of his head, groaning quite loudly. I was so glad that he was alright and that I found him at last that I practically started tearing up and threw myself on top on him, hugging him tightly._

"_Deidara! I'm so happy I found you! I was so scared! I couldn't find you for a long time and then this wolf found me and started coming after me! I was so scared! I was so scared Deidara…!," I cried as I dug my face into his chest._

"_Katana," he only said._

_I created water works nonstop. I couldn't pull myself together to explain what happened. I was so freaked out from the close call with the wolf that it became difficult to control my emotions as it scrambled through my entire psyche. I clenched on to Deidara's dark shirt firmly and buried my tearful face into it. I shook throughout my body and I struggled to keep myself from crying hysterically._

_From what I remembered after that, Deidara actually wrapped his arms around me, hoping it would help comfort me a bit. He tried to soothe my nerves as much as he could, being the great friend he was back then. After several more minutes of attempted relaxation, when we believed the wolf was gone from our tracks, he helped me on my feet and decided to take me back to his house instead. The walk was quite calm as the slight wind kissed my skin, cooling me in the process after being heated from all that running. It was hard to walk from pushing myself to sprint, but I hung in there as Deidara assisted me._

_When we got closer to the village, I paused, which made him halt as well. He looked down at me, puzzled._

"_What is it Kat? Hmm," he asked me._

_I lifted a finger from my weak right hand, raised my arm carefully and then poked him on the shoulder hard. His visible eye grew wide as I removed it from his shoulder._

"_Tag, you're it," I spat out in an undertone as I smirked._

_The look on his face was rather priceless! He couldn't get over that moment and claimed that we weren't playing the game at the time. But I didn't care, those were the rules and I got him where I wanted him._

"Listen Kat," Eriku started the conversation, "I just wanted to say that I continue to apologize for the unfortunate events that took place on our last mission. I still feel guilty that you went through all that trouble just to protect me, even though you barely know me."

I stopped walking right after he spoke. He paused as well when he realized I had stopped walking beside him. I met my eyes with his bright hazel orbs and gave a warm smile. I wanted to make it clear that everything was alright and that it was nothing to keep saying sorry for.

"It's okay Eriku. You don't need to continue worrying about it," I told him kindly.

He still seemed like he was slightly in distress about the situation. He shook his head out of uncertainty.

"I know, but it was my faul-!" he was cutoff when I placed my index finger on his soft lips and silently shushed him.

"I did what I had to do to save my comrades, even if I'm not completely familiar with them," I said as I removed my finger from the surface of his mouth, "I wasn't going to sit around and allow Takuna or Hidan to harm you or anyone else for that matter. I did what was right to me. Sure, I got severely injured in the outcome of it and could've died trying to save you all, but I would've felt guiltier if I hadn't stepped in, used myself as a shield for you and watched you die because I didn't act fast enough."

His eyes grew wide, his expression was quite bewildered. Perhaps he didn't expect me to say anything like that or he figured I would, but wasn't prepared to hear it. His mouth slightly hung open as he watched me beaming up at him. At least I knew I was starting to get through to him.

"So please, stop dwelling on this guilt of yours. It's nothing you should keep dreading about. You should be thankful you have a good new friend like me," I implored him calmly.

Then his shocked face melted into a warm and pleased smile, assuring me that he finally got the message and was willing to ease himself from his small depression. He faced me entirely and raised his arm up, then he gently placed his soft and rough fingers on the surface of my shoulder, where I had the scar left from the wound Hidan inflicted on me before. At first, I tensed up a little from his simple touch, but then I managed to relax shortly after he glided his fingers over my wound.

"I don't know how I can ever repay you Katana," he said in a soft tone.

"I think a friendship is payment enough," I answered with a smirk.

He laughed as he removed his hand from my shoulder and nodded his head in approval.

"Hey! What is going on here?," a young girl's voice shouted toward us.

When I turned to see who it was, a girl who seemed like she was about my age, long brown hair with blonde highlights made in a braid and ended with a golden yellow bow, pale skin almost like mine, bright blue eyes that were the color of the daytime sky, wore eye makeup, light pink blush and pearl pink lipstick. She also wore a bright white strapless tube top with a short yellow pencil skirt and black strapped sandals with a small heel. She looked like she had gone out to a semi-formal party.

"Eriku, who is this girl you're trying to get too friendly with? Hmm?," she questioned rudely as she appeared angry and pointed roughly at me.

I glanced at Eriku confusingly before I focused back to the girl.

"Eriku, who is she?," I asked very inquiringly.

She appeared to have overheard my question once she straightened up her back and placed her hands on her hips.

"My name is Rina, and I am his girlfriend," she shouted proudly with a smirk.

"Ex-girlfriend to be exact," Eriku corrected, "She still can't get over our break up."

Her grin dropped to an angry frown and then she took a few steps closer to us, lightly waving her arms back and forth.

"Oh please. Like as if you got over ours? You know damn well that you still love me," she spat out.

"Rina, it's over between us. Get that through your head already and leave me be," he said as he peered at her sternly.

He wasn't looking too happy anymore. I wasn't sure how to avoid this situation, seeing as how I found myself stuck in it like quicksand.

Suddenly, Rina started laughing hysterically out loud, being sounded and heard by a chunk of the village. She had a small crazed look on her face, almost like how Deidara appeared the first night he returned to the Leaf Village. Now I could tell what crazy looked like.

"Oh my baby Eriku, you joke too much," she said as she wiped her left eye.

I stared up at him quizzically. I was baffled by this girl's actions to the point where I was worried she could become an insane killer. At least, I overthought that.

"Is she serious? She sounds nuts," I told him surprisingly as I gestured to her with my hand.

"Who are you calling nuts you little skank?!," she pouted and yelled as she stomped her way close to me.

How dare she call me a skank?!

"Skank?! Who the hell gave you the right to call me that when you're obviously wearing a skimpy outfit you crazy bitch?!," I shouted back at her, becoming irritated with her.

"Eriku likes when I wear this kind of clothing," she answered sternly.

"He doesn't care about you anymore. Didn't you hear him say so?," I told her harshly.

I understood that I sounded quite rude myself when I told her that, but it was the obvious truth. Eriku admitted it, but she refused to accept it, which was her loss.

"Girls, stop this," he begged us.

However, I blocked out his voice as I focused on standing up to his ex. I couldn't just let her stomp all over me. I had to be strong!

"He's right, why don't you stop and walk away Leaf Village girl? You'll just be wasting his time if you stick around any longer," she said with a devilish smirk.

"Well I hate to burst your bubble, but according to him, you've already done that job for me!," I snapped in her face.

She may have been a couple of inches taller than me, but I surely wasn't intimidated by her at all. I saw her as trash who talks about trash to others so they could feel bad about themselves and make her feel more confident. But I wasn't going to let her take advantage of me. Not one bit.

That outburst caused her to slap me flat on my left cheek hard enough to push my head to the side. After I felt the stinging, I cupped the injured cheek and glared up at her as she scolded down at me. I tried to play off as tough so she could get irritated with the fact that I wasn't hurt by her little slap. Eriku's face expression became shocked and worried.

"Had enough?," she asked as she grinned deeply at me.

"That depends, have you decided that you're going to leave Eriku the hell alone?," I snapped at her again, sounding more angrier in my voice.

She growled as she threw herself on me and began to throw several punches at me, landing hits on my head and my chest. I brought my arms up in defense as she continued to throw her numerous hits on my body, trying to take me out hard and cold. The punches felt like I was landing on thin parts of pointy stones, pressing hard against certain parts of my body. For a supposedly classy girl, she sure could fight. I also felt like I was letting her win so far. This seemed like the time Takuna had beat me up back at her village, which made me unhappy with the fact I was getting beat by this chick.

To change it up, I used my strength to push her off of me, threw a good punch against her right cheek and stood up swiftly, preparing myself for a long good fight. She grasped the cheek I hit and gritted her teeth against each other, growling towards me.

I didn't want to use my super strength on her, realizing that I could most likely kill her if I did allow some of my chakra to link through to my fists. I had to maintain and balance a good amount of power while prevent myself from going overboard simultaneously. Murdering someone accidentally was not worth my time in prison.

"I see you want to play dirty, well, let's see what you got," she challenged.

"Bring it!," I demanded as I stood in a fighting stance.

"Katana! Rina! Please stop this nonsense!," Eriku pleaded loudly.

As always, we ignored him as we charged towards each other and ignited the flame between us by throwing punches at one another. A new rivalry was born.

She purposely fell on top of me and I had to struggle to hold her arms back from attempting to land hits on me. She seemed pretty strong also for a simple girl. Was she a ninja was well, I thought? I didn't need to distract myself because if I lost focus, I would surely lose to her.

I pushed her and got on top of her, trying to hold her arms back for a good while and then I threw a good punch at her face, landing a firm hit on her right cheek. I could hear Eriku's cry, hoping to persuade us to stop the violent act we started, but it wasn't working for any of us. We continued to fight until one of us went down. I threw another punch before she rolled on top of me and landed a few punches on me. Getting brutally hit terribly reminded of Takuna, how she jumped on me and continued to angrily hit me until Deidara stopped her. Except this time, he wasn't here to save me, nor was Eriku helping at this point. I had to do something before Rina took me out for good and quickly. I was getting tired of this fast.

After she gave her all, threw several more punches and began to throw one more hard one, I brought up one of my hands that was already formed into a fist, threw it hard, gathered some chakra into it and firmly landed my fist against hers, feeling the bones in her arm crack and break from impact.

She shrieked very loudly as she clenched onto her now broken arm and fell to her knees.

"Ahh! My arm! You broke my arm!," her scream pierced the quiet evening silence.

She continued to cry as I slowly stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothes. Eriku tried to touch me so he could help but I shoved him off of me out of anger. I didn't need anyone help at that moment.

"That bitch broke my arm!," Rina kept on crying.

"You're lucky I didn't break your whole damn body!," I spat at her direction.

I swear every time I become involved with a boy, there will always be drama with a girl who is somehow affiliated with him. My life sucks or I'm just hanging with the wrong people.

"Are you alright Kat?," Eriku asked me worryingly.

"Yes, but please, don't talk to me. I'm not in the mood right now," I asked of him rudely.

"But Kat-!"

"Eriku!," Seko interrupted Eriku, following Otobo.

"We're so sorry Eriku but we were unable to hold Rina back. She was too much for even the two of us," Otobo said as he rubbed the back of his head and looked down at the ground.

I peered at Eriku bewilderedly.

"What do they mean by that?," I questioned Eriku in a mad tone.

Before he could answer, I raised my hand in a dismissal manner.

"You know what? It doesn't even matter anymore. I'm going back to my Aunt's house. Don't you dare come after me," I warned the four of them before I spat out some blood from my mouth and stormed off to go back to my Aunt's house.

I was so pissed off that I wasn't sure I wanted to be friends with Eriku and them at all. After getting into a fist fight with his ex-girlfriend, though it wasn't his fault, I became very frustrated with the idea and resented any thought of him and his group. I needed to clean myself up and get some rest. It was going to be a long stay.


	21. Chapter 20: Closer To The Challenge

*Chapter 20: Closer To The Challenge*

"Did Rina really do that?," my cousin Sabia asked surprisingly.

I had spent the night at my Aunt Makoto's house in the Hidden Sand Village for the next few days, hoping to relax and forget all my problems, at least that's what I thought before my fight with Eriku's ex-girlfriend Rina about three nights ago. I had felt quite better since then, but not entirely.

"Yes, she literally slapped me first, talked smack to me and then when I returned the favor, she attacked me," I explained to her.

"Wow that's crazy, but that's to be expected of her. I also heard that you broke her entire arm in one punch. How did you do that?," she wondered with great interest.

The face she was making out of curiosity made me laugh a little. We had already talked about it within these few days, so it shouldn't sound too surprising for her, but I guess she hasn't gotten tired of hearing the same things yet. So I smirked and formed fists with both my hands, preparing to demonstrate, though I wouldn't really reenact the event.

"Easy. I waited for the right moment, built up enough chakra into my fist, then when she threw the punch, I threw mine and clashed with hers. I felt the bones in her arm busting and cracking as I inflicted the hit. I did learn to have monster strength from the Hokage after all," I described.

She seemed flabbergast by my explanation and looked like she had imagined it in her mind, wincing at the thought of the bones in Rina's arm breaking.

"Gosh, you are something Kat," she said as she took a sip of hot chocolate from her pale brown mug.

I chuckled at her comment before I took a sip from my mug. We were chilling outside that morning in the front of the house like last time, wearing our pajamas with no care of who saw us. We just wanted to enjoy our morning drinks and the cool refreshing weather in peace. We felt so lazy that morning and we liked it that way.

"So are you going to talk to Eriku and the others again?," she asked curiously.

I gently placed my mug to the side of me and exhaled a large amount of breath, trying to gather my thoughts in their proper places as I stared straight forward at some other houses across from us.

"I'm not sure actually. Who's to say Rina won't try to pick a fight with me again?," I questioned in a rhetorical way.

Sabia looked displeased with my remark and took another sip of her drink before putting it down and firmly meeting her solid dark brown eyes with mine.

"Katana, I know Rina threatened and harmed you, but Eriku had nothing to do with it."

"That may be so, but he didn't throw himself in the middle to stop us either. He cowardly stood on the sidelines pleading while he let Rina attack me and I had to defend myself on my own. What does that tell you?"

"The guy was probably in a state of shock. He must've been confused and stuck not knowing what to do. I think you should accept his forgiveness and allow him back into your circle of trust," Sabia suggested.

I had to think about to myself. Should I forgive him and allow him back into our new friendship or should I shun him from my life because he had an insane and obsessive ex-girlfriend who definitely had beef with me? Eriku was a good guy, but I didn't want to deal with crazy former girlfriends or chicks that want to be their girlfriends. But I shouldn't blame him for someone else's actions towards me. Decisions, decisions, yet it was very hard to figure out so quickly. Of course, I planned to take my time about it anyways. I sighed before I glanced at my cousin and then faced forward.

"I'll think about it," I answered solemnly.

I never checked to see what expression Sabia made, but from the sound of her exhale, she was content.

"Alright," she only said calmly.

After a few more minutes of peaceful silence, I began to hear a quiet crumbling noise coming from the dirt ground below my feet. It was rather peculiar and I was on alert for whatever it could be. When a small patch of the surface formed a tiny crater of touched dirt, a small yet very familiar animal crawled out of the hole and looked up at me with its beady eyes. I immediately dropped my guard when I recognized them.

"Kori," I whispered as silently as I could.

"Katana, I came as fast as I could and I have brought you a letter from Deidara," she notified me as she turned her little body to show me the small rolled piece of paper that was tied to her.

A letter from Deidara? How interesting, I thought.

"Excellent. Hold on one moment," I said as I let her crawl on my hand and covered her with my other hand, "Sabia, I'll be right back. I gotta use the bathroom."

"Alright. Just don't take too long and stink up my restroom," she commented as she laughed and took another sip of hot chocolate.

I nodded and laughed a little as I got up from my seat, opened the door and walked inside the house, heading straight for the bathroom. Jiro and Juro were watching cartoon movies as usual, the other two boys were off inside their bedroom and Aunt Makoto was in her room while my Uncle Daisuke was at work again, so no one would notice I had a tiny blue scorpion in my hand. If the twins saw her, they would drag and throw her around like a rag doll.

Once I reached the bathroom, I opened the door and checked if anyone was inside. The coast was clear so I entered, still with caution and locked the door behind me as I closed it. I flipped the light switch on and then I walked up to the sink so I could gently place Kori on the surface.

"So I assume the delivery was a success?," I asked in hopes I got positive feedback.

"Yes. I managed to make it to the Akatsuki hideout thanks to recognizing Deidara's natural scent. However, I did come across certain traps that set off when I got further into the lair's territory, but I got out of them real easily. Once I found and entered Deidara's room, I tried to approach him first and hoped to give him the present without any complications, but when he caught a glimpse of me, he actually tried to blow me up with him bombs. Luckily, I managed to evade his attacks and when the present slipped off my back, he became curious, so he picked it up and barely realized it was his gift from you. He then apologized for his rude actions and decided to write a letter for me to give to you once I returned," she explained thoroughly in her squeaky voice.

I couldn't believe he tried to blow up one of my favorite companions. He would surely pay for it, I thought.

"I see. Don't worry, I'll get after him soon enough for nearly killing you," I ensured her as I lightly poked her back and smirked.

"That's good to hear. He could've blown off my stinger if I didn't move in time!," she exclaimed in an adorable tone.

I giggled a little, though I didn't purposely want to. Kori had a temper sometimes and though I was supposed to take it seriously, I found it quite amusing, since she had that cute high pitched voice that sounded like an innocent little girl. She was just so lovable, which is why I sometimes don't take her seriously.

She stared at me for a good couple of minutes, which made me wonder what she was thinking. I couldn't figure out what her dark beady eyes were telling me, but I had a hunch that she seemed concerned.

"Katana?," she called me softly.

"Hmm?," I responded quickly.

There was a few more seconds of silence before she took a step forward towards me.

"What happened to your face? There are bruises on your cheeks," she pointed out.

My injuries had been healing pretty well since the fight with Rina not too long ago, but it did leave deep and dark colored bruises on both sides of my face. Aunt Makoto and Sabia had to help clean them up once I got back as frustrated as I had become. It was a struggle to hold completely still for them to treat the wounds.

Remembering the event, I lightly glided my fingers on one of my cheeks and kept it there for a short while before letting my arm hang by my side again. I wasn't sure if I should tell her about the ridiculous situation between Rina and I. It would most likely remind her of my fights with Takuna in the past and she would probably be disappointed in me.

"It was nothing," I lied, "The twins threw their hard toys at me."

She actually bought my fake explanation from the looks of her gesture.

"Oh! You can grab the letter now from my back," she informed me as she turned to face the side where the rolled letter was to me.

When I spotted it, I approached her, bent down and started carefully untying the tough string that wrapped around her little body. After getting it loose, I snatched the letter from her and sat down on the cold to the touch toilet seat. I inhaled then exhaled before I prepared myself to unroll the piece of paper. I started from the bottom edge of the paper, dug my thumb into the inside of it and began to slowly unroll it. It revealed words written in black ink as I continued to open it. Once I had it opened all the way, I wondered why the words looked funny. It was like they were switched around and they didn't make any sense.

"Um Katana? It's upside down," Kori informed me.

I finally snapped to that comment, noticing how it was upside down. I smacked the side of my head out of shame for myself, flipped the paper so it was facing the right way and recognized the words correctly. I glanced at Kori before looking back at the letter.

"Indeed," I told her, feeling slightly stupid.

All that aside, I inhaled another good amount of breath and began reading to myself:

**Dear Katana,**

**Thank you for the pleasant Christmas gift you actually decided to give me. I really appreciate it and can't wait to start wearing it. It smells really good, great choice.**

I know, I know.

**Also, I would like to let you know that I am done with all my assignments for now, so we can take on our little wager, I should say on the 30****th**** in the morning. I will be waiting for you outside of the Sand Village.**

**Deidara**

**P.s, be prepared to give me that juicy kiss. ;)**

"Ugh! That boy," I shouted out loud as I crumbled the paper in my hands.

He sure is a real tease. But at least I was aware that tomorrow was the day he wanted to do this bet of ours, so I needed to gather my things by tonight and prepare for one of the fights of my life. Well, not really. Because I believed I could beat him in a matter of a few minutes! That's how hubris I was. I'm surprised it hasn't killed me yet.

"What does it say?," Kori wondered.

She had no idea about the bet Deidara and I had made earlier, so telling her now could make it worse for the both of us. Mainly because I didn't want to hear her rant on in lectures about how I needed to be careful around him or how getting involved with criminals is too risky. Like I haven't heard all those things constantly before? I was fully aware of what I was dealing with when Deidara returned, which is why I try to keep it on a down low, even from my friends. I had some loud mouth friends.

"Nothing, he just thanked me for the Christmas present and made a smart comment," I semi-lied to her.

I was halfway true about the letter, but I didn't need to tell her the rest of it. The less she knew about my involvement with Deidara, the better and the safer she will be. I would never want my friends to get punished for my actions.

I turned to face Kori as she stood on the sink counter. I smiled brightly at her as I lightly patted her back.

"Thank you so much for your help Kori. I don't know what I'd do without you," I gratefully thanked her.

"You would probably be dead without me," she joked.

That seemed more depressing than funny. After I faked my laugh, I pulled out the scroll I had her sealed in from my pajama pants. I had it stored there just in case Kori did return from her delivery trip. I laid it flat and open on the sink counter, ready to seal her back into it, though I hate to have to depart.

"Thank you again for all your help," I thanked her again.

"It's no problem. If you need anything else, just summon me," she said as she crawled onto the scroll and centered herself.

"Will do," I said as I performed the appropriate hands signs.

I watched as she was covered in a large puff of smoke and once it cleared, she was gone. I noted that she was finally back in her scroll, since the symbol that was missing before when she was summoned was back in its place, at the center of the sealing.

Still smiling, I rolled the scroll back up and placed it back into my pants, glad that things are arranged properly.

"Hey Kat! Are you done in there? You've been taking a long time in the bathroom! Are you taking a dump?!," Sabia nagged on loudly for others to hear.

"Uh, yeah! But I'm almost done! I just need a few more minutes," I shouted to her.

"Alright then," she confirmed.

I heard her footsteps faded, noting that she walked away. I sighed of relief that she didn't catch me talking to my scorpion companion or she'd think something's up. I didn't need to tell anyone else about my business.

So after a couple of minutes of sitting on the toilet seat, I stood up, turned to face it and placed my hand on the handle, pushing it down and hearing the toilet flush and make splashing noises inside the bowl. I then washed my hands, dried them with a purple hand towel they had hanging on a rack by the sink and unlocked the door, leaving the bathroom and heading for the guest room, where I stayed. I had to start gathering my belongings so that the next morning, I would be ready to leave and take on Deidara, in secret.


	22. Chapter 21: The Spar: Part 1

*Chapter 21: The Spar: Part 1*

Waking up at six in the morning is one of the most difficult things I could ever do. If I already had trouble pulling myself out of bed at eight or nine a.m., then I know that early morning wake up calls are very pressuring on me. But I had to get up that early because I needed a big head start on leaving the Sand Village. When I got up, it felt like someone was on top of me and they were trying to hold me down on the bed with their weight or as if the pressure of gravity got really heavy and I couldn't move too much. That's how lazy I am.

All of my belongings were gathered by the front door of my Aunt's house, so there was no real hassle, since I only brought my backpack, my medical bag, my ninja weapon pouches and holsters. Okay, I may have brought a little more than I originally planned, but this was because I wanted to be fully prepared for mine and Deidara's little wager, and just in case some crazy ninjas or robbers try and attack me. Necessities like these come in handy when you're a shinobi.

After I had brushed my teeth with a spare toothbrush I had at the house, I made sure I was properly dressed, that my hair was done correctly and that I had everything of mine packed with the bags I had by the door. Once I finished and made sure it was all clear and done, I was good to go.

As I bent down to quietly lift my belongings so I wouldn't disturb everyone else who were asleep at the time, I noticed Sabia standing in the doorway of the hall. She wore the same pajamas she had on yesterday, but who wouldn't wear the same ones more than once? I usually did that, unless they got dirty or I had worn them for too long. I was surprised to see her awake because she was mainly the last one to rise in the morning.

"Sabia. What are you doing awake so early?," I questioned her softly.

"Just wanted to be the one to make sure you left the house okay. Besides, someone has to lock the door after you," she said as she leaned against the edge of the doorway.

"Oh okay," I said as I slipped on the backpack and started putting on my ninja gear.

She looked curiously at me as I attached the pouches on my clothes and had slipped on the holster on my right leg.

"I was wondering earlier, why you packed the majority of your gear just to come for a visit?," she asked as she continued to eyeball my stuff.

"Why wouldn't I?," I returned a rhetorical question as I cocked an eyebrow.

Wouldn't she have figured that being a ninja meant you had to be prepared and expect the unexpected? Maybe she didn't go out too often.

"I don't know. It just seems weird to have all your weapons on you if you only meant to come over and see some family. That's just my thought," she explained as she made hand gestures.

I walked up to her slowly and placed my hands on both her shoulders. I looked her straight in the eyes and smiled kindly, while she appeared confused at my actions.

"Oh Sabia, my dear cousin. You must not travel very short distances with anything to protect yourself from danger. A ninja must always carry tools to help them out of trouble, even if it nearly kills them or their opponent," I told her firmly, "I think you should do it more often, because you don't know how many times I've been ambushed by the enemy during my short years of being a Chunin."

In no later than several seconds, she nodded in agreement and I released my grip of her shoulders. After that, I went back to collecting my stuff and I was ready to go. I gave her a nod to signal that I was going to leave and she nodded back in confirmation. With that noted, I twisted the doorknob and carefully opened it, trying not to creak and cause enough noise to wake the entire household. As I paused in the middle of the doorway, I turned my head over my shoulder and glanced at my cousin before completely stepping outside and heading towards the direction of the Sand Village Main Entrance.

I will miss her and the family. I also felt bad deep inside that I didn't get a chance to find Eriku during my stay and forgive him for the troubles that occurred earlier. If I could, I would've turned around just to search for his house and tell him I was sorry for provoking his ex-girlfriend. But now was not the time. I had to leave the Hidden Sand Village for now and go do what I was really meant to do since I planned it. I had to prepare to win against him. Against Deidara.

After I was miles away from the Sand Village Main Entrance, I paused for a brief moment so I could catch my breath and rest a little. All that walking could make you tired, mainly when you haven't eaten yet and it was still early in the morning. I was exhausted and I didn't really do much so far. It was probably because I didn't sleep well last night due to the thought of today's event. I couldn't stop thinking about methods and how to out-maneuver him during the fight. Only problem was that I didn't have the complete knowledge of his abilities, so it meant I had to be quick on my feet.

The sun was barely peeping over the horizon at the time I was getting farther away from the Sand Village. The temperature wasn't that bad and there were no sandstorms in sight. It was going to be a good morning, I thought. Another problem, however, was that I don't recall knowing where Deidara said he would meet me up. All I got out of that ridiculous letter was that he would find me on the further outskirts of the Sand Village. That didn't really help me much.

As I continued to take a stroll through the surprisingly calm desert, I caught a quick sense of something peculiar around the area. I'm not the sensor type of shinobi, but there are rare occasions when it seemed like I could sense a presence nearby. Taking a pre-caution, I carefully pulled out a kunai knife and kept it firmly in my right hand, waiting for something to pop out at me.

So far, it appeared that nothing was near me anymore, like it disappeared from existence. Believing the coast was clear, I lowered my guard just a slight bit.

"Hey Katana. Hmm," a deep familiar voice startled me.

I swiftly swung my arms out with the kunai in hand and pointed it towards the person's neck in a matter of seconds. When I quickly took the time to see who it was, I recognized them and dropped my arms, sighing from annoyance.

"Deidara! How many times are you going to do that to me?," I pouted as I placed my hands on my hips.

"Aw, c'mon. You know I'm just messing with you. I find it quite amusing. Hmm," he said with a smirk on his face.

Now that I knew it was him, I put away my kunai and crossed my arms over my chest. At least he showed up in the morning like he said he would.

"Okay, so how are we doing this? Are we gonna head to another location? Are we gonna wait a lit-!," I yawned in the middle of my questioning, which caused Deidara to look a bit concerned, "What?"

"Sounds like someone's still tired. Did you sleep well last night? Hmm," he asked.

"Actually, I did have a little trouble falling asleep right away, but I'm fine," I assured him, though it didn't sound strong enough.

Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly, which made the situation more awkward. With only that much, he began to chuckle in front of me.

"What's so funny?!," I asked angrily.

"You definitely aren't ready to fight me in your condition. You need to rest a little more and you need to eat something to get your energy up. Hmm," he instructed me as he poked my nose.

I found that quite irritating.

"No I don't! I'm fine," I shouted.

My stomached growled again, only louder the second time. He smirked as he brought out a small clay bird and tossed it onto the ground. Then he made a couple of hand signs before the clay disappeared into a large puff of smoke. After the smoke began to clear, a larger version of the clay bird revealed itself, ready for Deidara to ride on.

"Ladies first. Hmm," he offered as he made a hand gesture towards the back of the bird.

"Wait, you want me to ride on that thing?," I asked worryingly.

I had never been on his clay birds before and I was greatly afraid of heights, so I didn't know what to expect when he wanted us to fly to our destination. I was a little scared now and it was embarrassing.

"Well, what do you expect us to do? Walk the entire way? Hmm," he said as he placed a hand on his hip, "It would take too long on foot. Hmm."

"I can see that. But, it's just that… I'm… I'm kind of afraid of heights…"

"Afraid huh? Hmm. Don't worry Kat, I'll keep you from falling off. Hmm," he said as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

This kind of affection he gave me still didn't assure me that I would be safe from falling off of the bird on our way to wherever we were heading. I figured he would tease me a bit just to get a few laughs, so the thought was unsettling. I peered down at the ground and fiddled with my fingers out of nervousness.

"C'mon, it'll be fine. Hmm," he said as he hopped onto the bird and stuck out an arm to offer his hand.

At first, I just stared at his hand, wondering whether or not to trust him. He could be caring or he could be playing with my emotions. Either way, I wanted to get this bet over with sooner or later, even if it meant to ride on something that will take me off the ground for thousands of miles. Hesitantly, I raised my arm up and grabbed his warm and rough hand, feeling him grip mine firmly so he could pull me up onto the back of the bird with him.

I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into, but it sounded better than walking the whole way and tire out my legs.

"Hold on tight, because this will be a bumpy ride. Hmm," he warned me as he faced forward.

What was there to hold on to? The bird didn't have any rope or seat belts to keep me from falling off, so what is there?

"Um, question. What am I supposed to hold on to?," I asked curiously.

He then turned his head over his shoulder with a devious grin across his face, which kind of startled me. Who knew what that boy was thinking.

"You can hold onto me if you want. Hmm," he said seductively.

Oh my goodness. Why wasn't I surprised?

"Ugh… Fine," I surrendered as I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on tight.

I wanted to live through it, so I had no other choice but to hold onto him somehow. As much as he was enjoying this, I could care less because I was going to win this bet, one way or another. So he could have fun all he wanted because once we get this thing started, he will get it badly.

He was taking quite a while to get the bird to lift off of the ground. The sleepiness I had was taking over me as I sat behind Deidara, waiting for us to fly already. Since I figured it was most likely going to take several more minutes to set off, I decided to carefully shut my eyes closed and drifted off into nap mode. I wanted to sleep so badly again, so I took the advantage I could get as I laid my head on his warm firm back. As seconds were passing by, I was enjoying my little nap in the position I was in.

However, taking that short nap was a mistake.

***Chapter 21 everybody! I hope you enjoyed it! What happens to Katana while she took her nap? Where will they have their challenge? Who will win the bet? Will Kat get her chance at victory? Or will Deidara get his kiss? Tune in for Chapter 22: The Spar: Part 2!***


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